Justice for All?

Leadership means having a clear vision for the future. It means making tough calls in difficult times in order to advance the agenda you were hired/elected to move forward. In the case of the U.S. Congress that means advancing the agenda of "we the people", not "we the establishment." The outcome of the Alabama election has made two things readily apparent to me:  1) The American people are finally starting to awaken to the behind-the-scenes power-wielding machinations employed by the elites on the left, in the Democratic Party, and they are tired of being played, tired of being used --witness the Roy Moore's comeback, losing by a mere 0.7% (the last count I saw, with over 91% of precincts reporting);  and 2) The leadership of the Republican Party --chiefly Mitch McConnell--have failed their party, their candidate in the critical Alabama Senate race, and failed their Commander in Chief, by throwing their candidate immediately under the bus at the first hint of trouble, in the absence of any due process, for an allegation of misconduct not only suspiciously timed but dating back well over thirty years.

I have to say, given the outcome of this crucial Senate race, coupled with Senator McConnell's poor legislative track record to date, that the time has come for the Majority Leader to resign from his duties so that he may be replaced with a more effective leader capable of advancing the President's agenda.  Perhaps the upside of this election outcome is two-fold.  First off, Roy Moore wasn't forced to withdraw from the campaign in the face unproven allegations, which he adamantly denied.  His supporters rallied in the absence of solid and timely evidence, and in the end the easily-spooked Republican Party came back around to support Moore's election bid.  So in the end, the nation dodged a bullet by not setting the dangerous precedent for future political elections that well-timed moral hit-jobs involving allegations of sexual misconduct can force targeted politicians out of key races after being tried solely in the court of public opinion. Then secondly, another upside is the fact this election only serves to fill the remainder of the former Senator's (Jeff Sessions) term, that remaining term being only two years of a standard six year term --Sessions having already served four of the six years in a given term.  So in two years, the Alabama Senate seat will be up for election once again.  All of the above being said, #1) above gives me enormous hope for both political parties moving forward.  The ability to think critically, logically towards the discernment of truth is crucial to the survival of our representative democracy.  In the absence of this independent reasoning and thought on the part of the electorate an elite 'ruling' power structure settles itself into place, being near impossible to remove once it is established, and this elite power structure is not focused on the needs of "we the people"; it is focused on selling influence and maintaining power in order to advance an elitist agenda.  Sadly, today in Washington D.C. there are elites participating in a well-established power structure on both sides of the political aisle.  Perhaps this is why we need to begin a discussion about the benefits of term-limits where seats in the U.S. Congress are concerned?

On a different note, I also think that the time has now come for we, as a nation, to begin having the discussion that would allow us to prioritize claims of sexual misconduct and the appropriate repercussions thereof, for not all offenses are created equal.  Not all offenses should result in the immediate destruction of a man or woman's entire career in the absence of any due process.  Don't get me wrong, I think the #MeToo movement is truly empowering.  It has allowed .. is allowing women and men to step out of their silence and suffering in order for their voices to be heard.  This movement has begun a long overdue conversation in our nation, a conversation with the potential to move us further toward a truly egalitarian society, which is rather remarkable in and of itself. That being said, we really need to get a handle the ramifications of sexual misconduct allegations in the absence of  any prioritization.  Prioritization of sexual misconduct allegations --even though there will likely be many grey areas-- would allow us to begin building the frame-work for prosecution in order to ensure justice for all.  For in the absence of prioritization, the positive progress this #MeToo conversation has made thus far can just as quickly run right off the rails, with countless opportunities for abuse in the face of false or unproven allegations.  Having this important conversation will also allow us to put past allegations (e.g., Senator Ted Kennedy, President Bill Clinton, Senator Tod Akin) --and the response of individuals from each political party-- into perspective when discussing current allegations (e.g., Judge Roy Moore, Senator Al Franken,  Senator Trent Franks and Representative John Conyers).  It may also help to shed some light on the motivations behind a radical change in behavior where some groups are concerned (i.e., rank-and-file Democrats). "Hypocrisy is the homage vice plays to virtue"?

12/14/2017  I heard that Roy Moore has requested a recount of the election results, as allowed by Alabama State Constitution for closely contested races.  

Justice isn't really blind, it just operates within a bubble of political expediency these days?

Justice operates in a bubble these days? Perhaps the blame in the delivered verdict in the Jose Garcia Zarate case lies with the prosecutor who opted for a higher charge of outright murder over manslaughter or involuntary manslaughter --especially in light of the ricochet evidence.  Perhaps this initial mis-charging was intentional in order to guarantee a desired outcome, in a sanctuary city, in support a prescribed political narrative? I am left wondering if such a verdict would have been possible in any other non-sanctuary city? The defense knew what they were doing when they opted to have the trial venue remain in the city of San Francisco.

 Image Source:
"Daily Caller"

Given the overshoot in charging, coupled with the apparent mental state of non-well being of the defendant, I suppose the outcome in this trial is not entirely unexpected.  That being said, justice has not been served for the victim, Kate Steinle, or for her bereaved family, not to mention the American people at large.  The bottom line is Zarate should not have been in this country.  If authorities in San Francisco had cooperated with Federal officials in honoring the government's detainer request, Jose Garcia Zarate never would have been on the pier that fateful day and Kate Steinle would still be alive and with us here today.  Sadly, the jury was never given this crucial piece of information during the trial, namely that Zarate was a 7 time convicted felon who had been deported from the country on 5 different occasions, only to return the U.S. time and time again through a porous southern border.  The verdict in this case and the political pontificating of the Defense attorney aside, this case at its core shines a glaring light upon the fundamental problem with sanctuary cities scattered across our nation, namely that  they aren't safe places to visit, live, work or play and the people who run them are perfectly okay with this fact and any unfortunate consequences thereof.  To the latter officials any casualties resultant of their sanctuary city policies are merely necessary sacrifices in a war of battling political ideologies.  To their way of thinking, "we the people" and law-abiding legal immigrants are expendable.  If that isn't a wake-up call to logically thinking people across this country, then I don't know what is??!??

Kate's story really hits home for me, because my family and I were visiting San Francisco, walking in the vicinity of that same pier exactly one week prior to this tragic shooting.  Timing is everything?  My proximity to this story really got me thinking about "sanctuary cities" and illegal immigrants.  After much thought and soul-searching I discovered, like most Americans, I fully support legal immigration.  Furthermore, I think I would be willing to support an increase in the number of legal immigrants we allow into this country, on a yearly basis.  However, I would only support this increase with the pre-requisite condition that our government finally and effectively addresses stemming the tide of illegal immigrants flooding into the country, on a daily basis, particularly dangerous individuals and repeat violent offenders.  A border wall --partial wall in strategic locations-- may just be the best place to start.  To those of you who claim "If you build a thirteen foot wall, they will find a thirteen foot ladder", I would say awakened Americans are no longer willing to subscribe to the "narrative of absolutes."  In the world of logical reality, meaningful actions and accountability, the choices are no longer all simple black and white, all or nothing.  In point of fact, if you build a thirteen foot wall, you actually wind up stopping everyone who doesn't have access to a thirteen foot ladder. And at the end of the day, that just might be enough to truly make a difference in reducing the number of illegal immigrants flowing into our country and committing crimes much to the detriment of law-abiding citizens and legal immigrants alike.

Contrary to the narrative of absolutes, the desire to commit to the development and implementation of a comprehensive immigration program --that will actually be enforced!-- toward the end of curtailing illegal immigration does not automatically make decent, law-abiding citizens bad people or "haters".  Nor does it mean the we want to put an end to all immigration or that that we in anyway dislike all immigrants in general; it just means that we want to be safe in our own homes, communities and cities --even when traveling.  It means we want to reward immigrants who come into this country through the proper channels and vetting process.  That's how we make immigration work for everyone in our country, citizens and legal immigrants alike.  But 'reasonable' people nowadays don't address real-world problems with real solutions, do they?  They cower under the feel-good cover of subscribing to accepted political narratives, in the absence of all independent thought, logic and reason.  The time has finally come to wake-up America!

12/3/2017 Apparently, it is actually a Federal crime not to cooperate with Federal Immigration officials on detainer requests.  Thus, the Attorney General could take meaningful action towards tackling the very problems posed by "sanctuary cities" by prosecuting those San Francisco officials directly responsible for the release of Jose Garcia Zarate.  The question is will Sessions finally take a stand --after eight years of his predecessors looking the other way-- in order to actually enforce the laws already on the books?

We, As a Nation, Are at a Crossroads ....

I have been following all of the #MeToo posts and stories, well the highlights at least. It's been too hard for me to bear witness to explicit details having been a victim myself. Nonetheless, I sincerely admire the courage of others have shown by coming forward in order to share their deeply personal stories, followed by the aftermath of trying to find 'normal' once again --some of us never truly find normal again, maybe we must invent a new normal for ourselves. Anyway, the sharing of these courageous women --and men-- gives me a profound sense of hope ... Hope because the sharing of these stories reveals a long-hidden, ugly truth in our western society, namely the false-narrative that power can be used to prey upon others for the purposes of a misguided need for sexual gratification at the expense of an unwilling participant. By sharing these stories we remove the mask of stigma from the victims and refocus the blame where it should rightly reside, namely upon the perpetrators and their enablers. We've begun to shrink the cover that 'polite society' used to provide for these monsters and started a conversation that stands to fundamentally change how we deal with sexual harassment and assault in our modern-day society. Those who prey upon the innocent, our children, are perhaps the worst among the predators. For these innocent we must remain ever-vigilant, being the eyes and ears who will watch for any and all signs of abuse and then move swiftly to protect the innocent.

All of the above being said, however, I find myself deeply troubled by the allegations being brought against the Republican Alabama Senate Candidate, Judge Roy Moore, in the aftermath of the Alabama primary election and just weeks before the main election is to be held. While the allegations, if proved to be truthful, are horrible and wholly inexcusable, I find myself EXTREMELY uncomfortable with the timing of these allegations, especially in light of the fact that these allegations date back thirty, or more, years making the allegations all the more difficult to conclusively prove, by legal standards, within the limited time-frame leading up to the election.

Image Source

As much as it pains me to say, given my own experiences of sexual abuse, I firmly believe Roy Moore deserves his day in court.  I do  not think this because of Roy Moore's character or his policies, or the fact that he happens to be Republican.  I would be making this very same argument if Roy Moore were a Democrat as well.  Due process is the right of all citizens and it is a fundamental part of who we are as a nation.  Due process is what separates us from countries like North Korea and Iran.  To my way of thinking we, as a nation, are at a crossroads. We stand to set an incredibly dangerous precedent for trying post/primary political candidates in the “court of public opinion”, without the due-process of law, where information --both true and false-- in this 'courtroom' spreads like wildfire in this day and age of global social media and the 24-hour cable news-cycle.  The repercussions of such a precedent will be long-lasting and detrimental to the fundamental underpinnings of our representative democracy, because now moving forward any candidate can be unfairly targeted with non-legally binding charges, in any political campaign, without due-process.  The game-changer of course in the "court of public opinion", now verses decades past, is the velocity--both speed, as well as multi-direction-- at which damage can be inflicted upon an intended target in our present-day technological web.  So which candidates are likely prevail in such scenarios, without the benefit of due process? Probably those candidates who are well-connected, both in terms of finances as well as media backing, with the financiers having their own hidden agendas. And who will want to even run for political office, given the risk of being unfairly targeted and smeared? Probably not the best qualified candidates, with the best interest of “we the people” at heart.

The Democrats are quite the hypocrites, given their unwavering support for President Bill Clinton in the aftermath of his sexual misconduct with a young White House intern, in the Oval Office no less, even in the aftermath of Congressional impeachment.  Let us not overlook the fact that the Democrats stand to win a much needed Senate seat in the aftermath of scandal, a seat which could potentially shift the Congressional balance-of-power, thereby derailing President Trump's agenda for “Making America Great Again.” And shame on establishment Republicans for rushing to throw their fellow Republican immediately under the bus? Timing IS everything. Even if these allegations of sexual misconduct prove to be true, we are all being played. Are we really okay with this?  If Roy Moore is forced to withdraw from the race, then the puppet-masters win again and they win BIG, not just today, but tomorrow and in every future political race that has yet to play.  I say, Judge Roy Moore deserves his day in court. Let the election play out, with the legal proceeding moving forth simultaneously. Then, if Roy Moore winds up winning the election and IF he is found guilty, by legal standards, then have him removed from office, where-after a replacement can appointed by the Governor of Alabama, as the established electoral guidelines in the state of Alabama dictate. To do otherwise risks damaging our democracy in so very many ways, ways which will go on to have lasting repercussions on our nation for decades upon decades to come.