American shouldn’t be fooled by Donald Trump
One and only one positive thing that Trump (I can’t bring myself to address him as President Trump) has done for me is to rekindle my interest in the Constitution of the United States. My copy is “The Penguin Guide to the United States Constitution” with comments by Richard Beeman, now deceased, who taught at the University of Pennsylvania.
Guess who attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania?
This guide to the Constitution is my constant companion now that Trump sits in the Oval Office.
Another publication that I have not read since 2001 but am now rereading is “The Federalist.” This book contains 85 short newspaper essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay in 1787-1788 to promote the ratification of the proposed Constitution of the United States.
My suggestion is that Americans should acquaint or reacquaint themselves to both the Constitution and “The Federalist.” Careful reading of both documents, in my opinion, will help one to realize that our democratic republic which took great men of character, intelligence and foresight to forge is now facing attack by an administration that is in chaos and led by an alarmingly baneful demagogue in the person of Trump.
This grand experiment in democracy called America is in the hands of a president who cannot conduct a sane and coherent press conference. His understanding of the office of the presidency and the reality of governing is grossly juvenile, his vocabulary is worse than a high school freshman, his ramblings and incoherent comments, speeches and tweets are shot through with inconsistencies and lies. His demeanor is menacing.
It appears that two years at Fordham University and a聽 degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania has taught him nothing about managing a complex government. One could question if he may have slept through classes on English and logic and possibly plagiarized assigned papers on economics!
More than likely, his association with unscrupulous and deceiving individuals from university times and afterwards in the real estate business world taught him how to claw to the top; no matter what ethical and moral standards stood in his way!
Do not allow your intelligence to be insulted by this president who lies about his Electoral College vote being the biggest win since President Reagan, who said his approval rate is at 55 percent and going up (the recent Pew poll has him at 38 percent), and who insists that he inherited a mess at home and abroad. He states his administration is running like a fine-tuned machine, who believes Mike Flynn to be a fine person, who didn’t know that there is a black caucus in Congress and who brazenly asks a reporter “Are they friends of yours?”
Resist the thought that this president has introduced a new normal when it comes to governing. He has not. What he is introducing is an abnormal governing strategy and style. His style is dangerous. His way is the way of authoritarianism.
Don’t be mesmerized by his rhetoric about making this country great again. It is great already. This country with its guaranteed constitutional freedoms has allowed him, as a private citizen, to prosper over and above his fellow countrymen.
Don’t be fooled that he will take us down the road to greater prosperity. What he may do is to lead us on a treacherous path that will damage the democratic principles upon which this country has been founded. The only counterbalance rests not only with an informed public, but also with experienced and thoughtful men and women in and out of government circles who have our best interest in mind.
Continued vigilance on the part of reasonable Americans is now needed to ensure that our Constitution and the rule of law are not violated by this 45th president and his members in Congress. Do not let up on scrutinizing the words and actions that come out of this White House and this Congress. We must insist on truthfulness and transparency in government.
Edwin Lefevre is a resident of Monessen.