A few weeks ago (June 21st), a fellow Northsider shared some thoughts with us regarding the 45th president, and …well, there were some issues. SEVERAL. I may as well start at the beginning.
Citing a statistic (in this case, about leaders around the world who’ve been jailed or prosecuted) is a fitting way to introduce the main point you’re trying to make; going a little deeper, though, it only serves a good purpose if that point is based in reality.
Let’s move on. A question we’d rather not have to ask but which I’ll submit to Camille Wright and all of you is this: How reliable, how trustworthy are our courts? Should I take your word for it, when you say that something has been “proven in court,” however many times? Plenty of us are wary of the news media, but let’s not assume that a judge or jury is immune to the same type of corruption. Not anymore. When I heard one of the jurors in one of Trump’s earlier trials being interviewed about it, her comment about the [opportunity to soon convict a/the former president], and how exciting the prospect was, revealed that it was less about seeing justice served and more about getting someone that she’d already decided was the bad guy.
That is just one example. But if our “neutral” news reporters are questionable, and our voting system (come on, do you REALLY trust your elections?), and Anthony Fauci (was he—and the CDC—always telling the truth…?), then what faith should we put in the legal system?
So, the Evil Orange Man’s immoral depravity is “on display on a daily basis”? If you’re going to go that far, Mrs. Wright, I’d say a few examples ought to be given—and cite your sources so that we know how reliable the examples are. In a minute here, I’ll touch on whether this is as important as you imply.
Now, to be fair, there certainly are a number of Americans who think the man can do no wrong, or at least who would always brush his sins under the rug. Those are the other “Never Trumpers” who Never acknowledge his faults, for one reason or another. But how did you conclude that a whole 50% of the country simply “[mistook] nationalism for patriotism”? Is it because that many said they would still vote for him (assuming this information is accurate)?
Let’s remember who our choices are this November: Are you more concerned about the 50% crowd, or the one-quarter of Americans who still believe that Joe Biden is the better option? How are you—my fellow N’siders—doing right now, compared to five years ago? Which president has been better for the country? for international affairs?
We hated seeing Bill Clinton’s dishonorable act(s) WHILE he was president, but we still ought to pose the question—WHAT KIND OF PRESIDENT WAS HE? What did he do or not do AS PRESIDENT? We may not have known to ask it then; I think we should know by now.
If you’re going to laser-focus on calling a presidential candidate “a snake,” Mrs. Wright, then you must also be ready to break down the examples of and evidence for it. I don’t hear from enough people who actually do that.
As for democracy, I prefer REPUBLIC (at least, that is how we started off). Democracy is more like two wolves and a sheep deciding what they’re going to have for supper.
I’ll stop there, for now.
Thorburn McGee is a Northsider.
