What would the Founding Fathers do?
To the Editor:
“He has erected a multitude of new officers and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people …”
“He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to the civil power.”
These words were among the charges against tyrant King George III in declaring independence from England in 1776. History repeats itself. These charges have come alive today in the tyrannical actions of our would be king, Donald Trump.
To quote further from our Declaration of Independence: “Governments are instituted among Men deriving their just power from the consent of the governed.”
No governor of any state or mayor of any city, has given consent to Trump’s sending his storm troopers to invade their cities. These storm troopers have unlawfully beaten, gassed and detain demonstrators in Portland, Oregon, violating their constitutional rights.
To quote from the First Amendment to our Constitution: “Congress shall make no laws .... abridging the right of people peaceably to assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
The Fourth Amendment states: “The right of people to be secure in their persons … against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated.”
Donald Trump’s use of storm troopers is in flagrant violation of our First and Fourth amendments. Please note Trump is only targeting states and cities with Democratic governors and mayors. His unidentified military force is creating urban warfare designed to convince Americans that Democrats are out-of-control rioters and anarchists. Trump is posturing as a law-and-order president. His use of this tactic is designed to sway voters to reelect him and his Republican supporters in November.
Do we still believe in the values expressed in the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution? Our Founders fought and died in the Revolution to secure this government for future generations of Americans. At the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin was asked “What kind of government do we have?” Franklin replied, “A republic, if we can keep it.” This question has yet to be determined.
What would our Founding Fathers do?
Margaret Abel
Franklin
