My husband and I are both children of Bronze Star recipients for their actions in the PTO (Pacific Theater of Operation) during WWII. While it may not be immediately obvious, we are also children of the American dream from families who chose to come to the United States because we were a beacon of not just hope, but of the true rule of law. My forebears came from various places in Europe and from various religious traditions but they came to this country because they had an idea that their stature would be equal even if their income or education wasn't. So my Irish Catholic and Jewish ancestors expected that the USA would be less prejudiced and less preferential than what they left behind.
My husband's family was more diverse in ethnic origin even though they were less diverse religiously. The earliest of his ancestors on this continent helped found Mendon, Massachusetts long before the American revolution but his grandfather and his mother were both born in Japan. So my husband's American roots are older than mine even though he is the one who gets classified as Asian.
Why does this make both of us feel discombobulated? Today the DOJ upended the recommendation of the prosecutors in the Roger Stone sentencing phase. The prosecutors had recommended that Stone receive a 7 to 9 year sentence for his felony conviction on multiple counts ranging from witness intimidation to perjury and extending to other nefarious conduct. Stone was found guilty on all counts by a jury of his peers. He had threatened the judge, he had defied orders of the court and that was on top of the actual charges.
But Trump tweeted that this was so unfair because there weren't any Democrats charged or convicted. So after the prosecutorial sentencing recommendation, the DoJ rescinded that recommendation and claimed that they weren't influenced by Trump's tweets. If you believe that then you should be completely happy that all four of the prosecutors from the Stone trial resigned their positions after the DoJ announcement.
If you don't believe that, you too should be discombobulated. What country is this? How did we end up as a banana republic? With all of the departures from the norm that Trump has taken, today's was the emblem of his disregard for the rule of law, the essence of justice, the point of the US.
I weep for my country, I despair for my country.
My deceased husband was not a U.S. citizen but he warned me the USA was becoming a third world nation at least 20 years ago. I blush to remember that I didn't take him seriously even while I was irritated by some government behavior.
ReplyDeleteMy staunch Republican mother said nearly 50 years ago that everyone would rue the day the conservative right coalesced. She and your husband were both correct.
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