Trump’s mishandling of classified documents shows his disrespect for country
Editor:
Trump stole war plans and nuclear secrets. The speaking (detailed) indictment makes clear that it is an overpowering, easy case to prove – tapes, videos, his lawyers’ testimony, associates all clearly establish espionage. Just read the indictment, it’s amazing.
The only loose cannon may be that the case seems to be assigned to Judge Cannon who the 11th Circuit (affirmed by the Supreme Court) already found “abused discretion” trying, as she did, to apply so called legal principles she heard on Fox News about Trump rather than apply the actual Rule of Law. She is astoundingly uninformed! That could delay the inevitable.
There is an unanswered and serious issue as we have no idea how long it will take to figure out how much information was compromised or sold in the year and a half it took to retrieve the documents Trump stole. Monetizing them through sale is the only reason for holding onto these secrets. (The Indictment has partially listed 31 of them.)
Quite differently, the question now for voters is figuring out what to think and do about all the copycat politicians who still puff up their chests and lie like “our” lives depend on believing their message of distrust and dissatisfaction.
Do we look around and realize our lives are pretty good or do we want to think everything was better in some idealized past or the present they lie about. There are, for example, a false narrative about literature being subversive. A false narrative we were better off being racist and intolerant.
A false narrative that with these idiots in charge we have more (not less) opportunity to move up the ladder of opportunity. A false narrative that rights that affect us are fine but it is wrong to recognize the rights of others who did others no harm. A false narrative that in the past the money government raised was not getting good things accomplished.
Trump showed politicians a path to power, corrupted our traditions, and inflamed partisan passions and laws to hide subversive and paranoid ways.
Can we rely that truth and reason can now overcome the widespread paranoia he stoked and others still spew? Or are enough of us willing to say (or realize) the Constitution and Rule of Law have to prevail if we have any chance to maintain a mature democracy which is ultimately in our best interests?
The mature response – the response that has always carried us through hard times and will carry us through these times – is to trust those (all of those) who choose tolerance, policy over winning, and the Rule of Law. Can people relax and get their heads together again or will they continue to fool themselves with the distrust and fear that is being peddled?
The truth is things are good. Get things in perspective. Overwhelmingly people of all stripes and government are good and serve us well. Putting “winning” over good policy and fair dealing is bad. And Trump and his copycat politicians and entertainers are cheap, loud mouth, common crooks.
Jack Smith, the prosecutor, came home from the Hague where he was prosecuting war crimes and criminal heads of state. This country has a hundred years of experience with special prosecutors who make their own decisions. Smith is used to hearing noise and ignoring it. He will hold fast as otherwise good people come back to their senses as they see the proof.
Conrad F. Cropsey
Albion
