Darkest Days in American History

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart 

America’s past is filled with dark memories. Unfortunately, our country has failed to learn from all of these mistakes. I offer you my list of the ten darkest days in America’s history from bad to worst. 

ONE OF SEVERAL ILLEGAL AND UNNECESSARY WARS 

On April 20, 1975, the last helicopter left Saigon, leaving many men and women behind who had assisted the American military in the 20-year war in Vietnam. To this day no one has been able to justify America’s engagement in a war halfway around the world. More than 58,200 men who were drafted into an illegal war lost their lives. Vietnam would become one of many wars lost by America. ar,

SCOTUS VOIDS THE 14TH AMENDMENT 

I know it’s the truth, because I watched all three hours of the attempted coup on January 6, 2021. Trump controlled the entire violent attack on our Capitol Building. According to section three of the 14th Amendment, he is ineligible to run for any elected office. However, on March 4, 2024, a biased Supreme Court declared the 14th Amendment void, and allowed Trump’s name to remain on multiple state’s ballots who had rejected listing him previously. 

SCOTUS IGNORES STATE’S RIGHTS AND DECLARES GEORGE W. BUSH OUR 43RD PRESIDENT 

After the 2000 election, it was clear that Al Gore won the popular vote. However, Florida’s electoral votes would decide the winner. “Hanging chads” and other irregularities demanded a recount. On December 12, 2000, the Supreme Court stepped in and halted the recount, voiding Florida’s right to set rules for elections within their own state. Once again, the people lost and a corrupt government institution decided our future. 

A CORRUPTED SUPREME COURT REMOVES A WOMAN’S RIGHT 

On June 24, 2022, a corrupt Supreme Court overturned a 49-year-old decision by a legitimate Court, removing a woman’s right to decide the future of her mental and physical health. By overturning Roe v Wade, the Court made a statement: women in America are third-class citizens. The once respected Supreme Court of the United States lost all credibility. America’s last hope has been politicized. 

OUR GOVERNMENT ALLOWS VLADIMIR PUTIN TO CHOOSE OUR PRESIDENT 

In October of 2016 a meeting was held in the Oval Office. President Obama, Vice-President Biden and the leaders of both parties were present. Our national security leaders confirmed that Vladimir Putin was interfering in our election in support of Donald Trump. Moscow Mitch McConell and President Obama decided not to inform our nation’s voters of the situation. The result was clear. A lower voter turnout in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin gave the Electoral College to Trump although Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by three million. A total of less than 80,000 total votes in those three states decided the election’s outcome.  

AMERICA’S PRESIDENT DECIDES TO MURDER HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE 

On August 6, 1945, the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. President Harry Truman decided that the lives of 66,000 innocent men, women, and children were of less importance than ending WWII faster, although it was clear that victory was ours. Later in the month a second atomic bomb murdered an additional 39,000 innocents in Nagasaki. 

DOMESTIC TERRORISM AND THE LOSS OF ABOUT 620,000 LIVES 

On April 12, 1861, the Civil War began. Slave owners joined together calling themselves the “Confederacy.” They decided to destroy our government and keep the control over tens of thousands of Black men, women, and children. When the bloodshed ceased, about 620,000 Americans were dead. This sad and tragic war displayed how severe man’s inhumanity to mankind remains our greatest national shame. If we refuse to ignore the truth, this war rages on today as white supremacists gained a voice in our government in 2017. 

THE BEGINNING OF THE LAST WAR WON BY THE UNITED STATES 

It was a Sunday morning in the American territory of Hawaii. As the sun began to rise, the buzzing of aircraft engines could be heard from above. The Emperor of Japan had launched a surprise attack on our naval base known as “Pearl Harbor.” When the attack ended, multiple vessels had been destroyed and 2,403 men and women had been killed. The next day President Franklin Delano Roosevelt announced America’s entry into the Second World War. 

THIS COWARDLY ATTACK ON DEFENSLESS AMERICANS WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN 

I was returning from my morning run. As I turned onto my street, I see my wife waving her arms up above. She ushered me into our home. The television was on. Minutes later the second tower of the World Trade Center crumbled. The date was September 11, 2001. The Pentagon had also been attacked, and we learned later that a planned attack on the White House had been prevented by heroic Americans on a flight over Pennsylvania. 2,996 lives were lost on that day. Sadly, facts offered after the tragic event revealed that our leaders had been warned about and “imminent attack on the U.S.,” and they did nothing. However, our president used the imagined fear of another terrorist attack to win reelection in 2004.  

UNQUESTIONABLY THE DARKEST DAY IN AMERICA’S 247 YEAR HISTORY 

On January 6, 2021, my wife and I were watching television. Whatever we had been watching was interrupted. On the screen was Donald Trump standing on a hastily erected podium. He began to speak. He began with a continuing lie about baseless claims concerning fraud in the 2020 election. Then Trump told his Neo-Nazi army to march to the Capitol Building and stop the certification of the Electoral College vote. He told his fascist supporters that “he would be there with them.” However, he marched back into the White House and watched the insurrection on television, as did we. For three hours a violent group of traitors broke windows, broke down doors, destroyed furniture, and defecated in the offices of our legislators, searching for Nancy Pelosi and Mike Pence, planning to kill them. Trump did nothing but sit in front of a television. He could have ended the attempted coup at any time. He was in constant communication with members of his own party inside the Capitol.  

To watch a sitting president execute an attack on one of our country’s most sacred and democratic processes was unforgivable. He had planned and organized the events of that day personally.  

Our president must never be allowed to commit treason again. January 6, 2021 will forever remain the darkest day in our nation’s history.  

Never forget that our military refused to respond, although Speaker of the House implored them to come to the aid of the Capitol Police. This day was our nation’s greatest failure, and most embarrassing moment, and must never be allowed to happen again. 

Op-ed by James Turnage 

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