Eight members of the Chicago White Sox were accused of throwing the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for money from a gambling syndicate. A Chicago Daily News reporter named Charley Owens was so distraught after star player “Shoeless” Joe Jackson admitted his guilt that he pleaded with the player, using the immortal words, “Say it ain’t so, Joe.”
Rules must be followed in the world of sports. If one team throws the game, the outcome is meaningless. One baseball team can’t be granted more outs than another team; every golfer in a tournament must play the same course, using the same rulebook; in basketball, a three-pointer is a three pointer; no matter who sank it; in football, both teams get four downs to make 10 yards.
The same bedrock principles must be followed in the United States or any other nation that claims to be a true democracy. To ensure a separation of powers the United States federal government is made up of three branches: Legislative, Executive and Judicial.
What would happen if a United States President decided that he (or she) should possess unilateral power, that he need not follow rules? What if the president treated the attorney general as his own personal lawyer, rather than the person overseeing the U.S. Department of Justice? What if the president demanded the undying loyalty of his staff, the facts and Constitution be damned? What if a president declared that if he (or she) doesn’t get re-elected the election was fixed, a hoax? What if a president encouraged his followers to invade the Capitol Building and use any force necessary to disrupt the transition of power?
Well, sports fans, we’ve reached that point in America, thanks to the dictatorial demands of one Donald J. Trump, a man without a conscience leading a nation with a crumbling Constitutional foundation.
Attorney General William Barr proved himself all too willing to serve the whims of Trump rather than the demands of the law. Barr used the staggering power of his position to selectively pursue Trump’s perceived political rivals. He shielded Trump from potential criminal exposure by misleading the public about Mueller’s findings and by declaring, contrary to evidence, that Trump had not obstructed justice.
In May 2019, then-Sen. Kamala Harris — plainly aware that Trump had publicly called for the Justice Department to lash back at Mueller and others by “investigating the investigators” — asked Barr at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, “Has the President or anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested that you open an investigation on anyone? Yes or No, please, sir.”
Barr stammered, stalled for time, pretended he hadn’t heard the question, asked Harris to repeat it and then pretended he didn’t understand the meaning of the word “suggested.” He came off like a little boy who swears he didn’t take cookies from the cookie jar, a much lesser offense in the grand scheme of things.
The Trump-instigated insurrection of the Capitol on Jan. 6 horrified any American who believes that the principles of democracy outweigh loyalty to any one person or political party. Trump defenders initially tried to blame Antifa. Some of them even claimed that Democrats planned the insurrection to make Trump and his followers look bad. Happily, hundreds of the insurrectionists will be held accountable for their treasonous actions. Sadly, Trump has yet to pay the price for the havoc he wreaked upon the nation.
The bipartisan 9/11 Commission led to sweeping government reforms in order to prevent terrorist attacks. Any loyal American should be just as much in favor of a commission to investigate all facets of the 1/6 insurrection so that such a travesty will never recur. Only six Senate Republicans broke ranks with former President Donald Trump and with the majority of Republicans who opposed the creation of such a commission.
Most Senate Republicans, it seems, are trying to rewrite history and claim that January 6 was a peaceful protest that just got a little out of hand. By that one vote, the majority of Senate Republicans lost any claim to being members of the law-and-order party or the party that stands up for the Constitution.
The Republican Party, in sum, has become the party of Trump. Our democracy will teeter on the brink of extinction until the party sheds Trump and Trumpism.
Say it ain’t so, America.
David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer, welcomes commentary and suggestions for future “Just a Little Old” columns. dtreadw575@aol.com. David’s latest book co-authored with Anneka Williams, who graduated from Bowdoin College this past May, is entitled, “A Flash Fiction Exchange Between Methuselah and the Maiden: Sixty Stories to While Away the Hours,” is available at Gulf of Maine books (Brunswick) Mockingbird Books (Bath) or on Amazon.
Copy the Story LinkComments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
