Who Can You Trust?

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart

 

I may have been naïve. This baby boomer grew up trusting everyone older than me, especially those with authority and power. I firmly believed that our government placed the welfare of its people as priority number one. I believed the slogan on the side of police cars was sincere: “to Protect and to Serve.” When my priest gave his sermon, I trusted him with all my heart. I knew that my teachers, including the nuns, loved their jobs and would make my life better. I watched the evening news and believed every word. But things have changed over my 77 years.

I no longer trust anyone who has power over me and those I love. Trust is earned and most of what I believed in my younger days no longer exists.

No one in Washington can be trusted. Over the years I have less and less faith in Congress. Of the 13 presidents I remember, only five of them were competent and true patriots, and it may surprise you but Richard Nixon was one of them. His huge mistake was unforgivable, but his love of country and many accomplishments are undeniable and numerous. I had faith in the Supreme Court, but began to lose it with the confirmation of Clarence Thomas in 1991. The appointments of Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Comey Bryant made me worry. On January 24, 2022, I learned that the Court was now fully corrupted and not to be trusted.

Although our founding fathers set lofty goals for our nation, they underestimated the greed and ambitions of mankind. Therefore, they made many mistakes, the greatest being the failure to set term limits for all three branches of our government. Term limits were necessary for the executive branch, eliminating a dictatorship. However, they are equally important for the legislative  and judicial branches.

Without term limits for Representatives and Senators, they have amassed great power, and it is an irrefutable fact that power corrupts. Moscow Mitch McConnell is the poster boy for the creation of term limits. He has harmed our nation for four decades.

The justification for lifetime appointments on the Supreme Court was the hope that the judicial branch would reject political affiliation. This has failed miserably. Our current Court is heavily biased in favor of right-wing policies, and are opposed to the Constitution in its current form. Progressive justices are outnumbered 6-3. In June of 2022 the “prejudice of the six” overturned a woman’s right to care for her own mental and physical health, overriding a 49-year-old decision by a legitimate Supreme Court.

Studies prove that both law enforcement and our military are composed of men and women who are white supremacists. Once again the First Amendment is under heavy attack from those who support the Neo-Nazi movement in America.

Christian religious leaders have joined together to become a lobby, demanding that Christianity be the major Religion of the United States of America. The first sentence of the First Amendment promises freedom of religion, and also freedom from religion. The politization of religion is the greatest danger to our nation’s future. They demand the joining of church and state to promote their vile agenda.

When I listened to Walter Cronkite and others on the evening news I had good reason to believe them. I no longer watch any news program on television. They hide the full truth and support the fascist on the right. Donald Trump has been good for their increase in advertising dollars. Another situation where profits take precedence over our nation’s people.

Ronald Reagan, another professional liar and religious extremist, once said, “trust but verify.” This was and remains good advice. Everything coming from the mouths of professional politicians, law enforcement, religious leaders, and television journalists is a lie.

The only weapon we have is our vote. Please ignore party affiliations and vote wisely. Only the people can save our nation for our children and grandchildren.

Op-ed by James Turnage

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