Editor’s note: This commentary is by South Burlington writer Dan Close, whose latest novel is “Song of Quebec.” A life-long patriot, he currently serves on the board of the Poetry Society of Vermont.
[T]he Constitution may be the law of the land, but our original founding document, preceding it by some dozen years, is the Declaration of Independence. It is the seed from which our nation has sprung. As such, it deserves careful study.
The Declaration of Independence is composed of three main parts – the declaration of self-evident truths; the list of grievances against King George; and the decision to declare independence, along with the pledges of the signers’ lives, fortunes, and sacred honor.
The list of grievances against the king of England number over 25. I was struck by the parallels existing in our current administration.
“He has refused his Assent to Laws,” says the document. Our current president ignores laws he does not agree with.
“He has forbidden his Governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance.” Our president has in the past few days instructed his Department of Justice to return to the courts and attempt to overturn the court’s decision that a certain attempt to add a question regarding citizenship status to the census is bogus.
“He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people. … He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither…” Certainly sounds to me like a rationalization of concentration camps for immigrants and refusal to accept the presence of “Dreamers.”
“He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.” A function he has left to Sen. Mitch McConnell.
“He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices …” Yes, unless you state publicly that you are against abortion rights, you don’t get an appointment.
“He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.” Not to mention appointing unqualified people to cabinet-level positions in the departments of Interior, Education, Justice, Housing, Labor and others. Nor do we need mention the certifiable lunatics and deranged madmen who have received positions normally reserved to those who pass rigid qualification tests, who currently and throughout the tenure of his regime serve without those safeguards.
“For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments …” Most recently, he has dictated that hundreds of Department of Agriculture scientists working on climate control programs he deems disagreeable be relocated to Kansas within a month, when there are no office buildings to accommodate them. The offered alternative? Immediate dismissal from their posts.
“He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power,” and uses that military to threaten fire and fury the like of which has never been seen before against foes, whether real or imagined or created by his own policy decisions, thus placing our military might in jeopardy.
“For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world.” “For imposing Taxes on us without our consent.” The effects of his tariffs take care of both those statements very nicely.
The Reichstag may not yet be burning. But it may not have to. Our president is determined to take down the opposition party in the House of Representatives individual by individual, through simple hatred of a nation that lives by laws which he seems unable to comprehend.
I could go on, but you get the idea. I could offer recommendations, but I won’t. The above list should be enough for any strict constitutionalist, limousine liberal, or independent-minded citizen to ponder with sorrow, loathing, and fear. But don’t take my word for it. Go read that great old declaration for yourself. And hurry.
