For almost three years now, I have watched the antics of the President of the United States. While his flair for the dramatic may be entertaining, it is becoming increasingly clear that his lack of respect and understanding of the Constitution is not. This has now caught up with him with the impeachment inquiry that is now underway in Washington.
These hearings are about President Trump’s abuses of power — his inclination to bend every rule and convention for political purposes. But the hearings are about more than that. They are about the office of the presidency; the boundaries of power that our forefathers established for then and now.
The outcome will have a lasting impact for generations. Will the culmination of these proceedings warrant his removal from office? Do we really want any President believing that they can manipulate foreign governments for their own gain? Unquestionably, what happened with the Ukraine phone call, even if it was completely legal, should not go unchecked by our two other branches of government. Our government is a system of checks and balances, so it’s important that Congress draw a line right now over which no future president will cross.
I am a Republican, but this isn’t a partisan issue; I have always held the Constitution above all other matters of public policy and believe that regardless of the outcome, Congress has the right to investigate in a fair, inclusive and open manner. I feel compelled to speak out and urge all members of Congress to move forward with a process that is consistent with what our Founding Fathers envisioned—a careful, objective analysis of the President’s actions, and if necessary, the consequences.
Kerri Bickford,
Topsham
Copy the Story LinkComments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
