Thursday, October 3, 2019

Trump Lawlessness is a Constitutional Crisis


America stands at a crossroads. As the President of the United States engages in an all-out attack on this nation’s constitution, it occurs to me that the boundaries of our constitution are being challenged. We are about to witness whether our constitution, as framed by our Founding Fathers, can withstand the onslaught of a lawless president.

As I ponder this question, I am reminded of a political science class I took at Lincoln University of Missouri where my professor argued that the constitution was so tightly written that it really didn’t matter who was the president. He posited that the president is the titular head; only setting the nation’s tone. But the constitution, he argued, is the engine that determines our course.

I am sure that a majority of Americans would, at first blush, agree with my college professor. I disagreed with him then and my belief is being vividly illustrated now. Over the past several months I have watched cable news networks frantically try to report the ever-changing narrative of presidential corruption. It occurs to me how wrong we can be about the strength of our foundation until it is tested.   

And we are being tested.

Never before has any president trampled so many commonly held values and mores as the 45th president of the United States. His language and behavior are reproachable. His shallow understanding of his duties is frightening. His mean and vindictive attitude towards our enemies and allies alike is alarming. His cavalier attitude toward violence and the use of lethal force is disturbing. His fascination with dictators and despots is disquieting. And his willful disregard for the power and authority of the legislative and judicial branches of government to administer their oversight duties is appalling.  Yet, we struggle to reign in this runaway presidency. We are unrecognizable…and at this moment, we seem to be failing the test.

Donald Trump made a mockery of our presidential election process, taunting and name-calling his republican opponents; speaking in a debased way about women, insulting African Americans and other minorities, stalking and intimidating his presidential opponent. Then, once elected he showed himself to be a liar; fabricating everything from crowd size to whether he conspired with Russia in order to defeat his opponent. He has been foul-mouthed and combative and has engaged in nepotism and emolument violations. He has surrounded himself with unsavory characters who share his disposition and have a penchant for criminal activity that has resulted in their incarceration or likely threat of judicial action and/or incarceration.  

This president is a clear and present danger to the well-being of our union, yet we struggle to find a remedy to address the threat. It is clear that Trump is unfit to hold the most powerful office in the world. But there is the politics of it.

The Democrat-led House has long known the need to impeach the president; the constitutional remedy for an anarchic president. But Speaker Nancy Pelosi questioned whether the public would support such a move. So for her, the fact that Trump clearly was guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors was less impactful than the possibility of a public backlash towards the Democratic Party over impeachment.  Then, once gaining the courage and the whistle-blowers’ report, the democrats have struck out on a path toward impeachment, but the republicans cower in the corners of the legislative building hiding from the news media, lest they be asked to state an opinion.

They, like the democrats, are waiting for it to be politically expedient to voice their true opinion about this unruly occupant of the Oval Office. Of course, they do not wish to give up their opportunity to seat more judges, decrease the number of brown people breaching our border or give more tax cuts to the rich. And, there is the possibility that Vice President Pence may be caught up in the bog of impeachment, which would give way for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to be named the president. And, of course, if the president is impeached, what does that mean for Republican control of the legislature and the presidency in 2020? So, as all these entities stand by waiting for a clear win to exercise their constitutional duty our nation falters.

The Founding Fathers had an outstanding plan. It was a well thought out, well-written plan based on the consensus of those charged with setting up a new government. However, any plan is only as strong as its weakest link.

Over the past 3 years, we have experienced an alarming attack on our constitutional norms. The strength of our foundation has been tested.  It remains to be seen whether we will withstand the test.

If the legislature cannot or will not meet its constitutional duty to protect America from a rogue presidency, then our way of life will forever be changed. This is a test we must not fail.

Monday, July 15, 2019

Donald Trump and the Art of Political Distraction

By Mildred Robertson

Where to start?  As I contemplate my monthly blog, I attempt to focus on pressing issues that face our state and our nation. However, as America plunges over one social, political and/or economic cliff after another, I am stymied by the overabundance of topics from which to choose. I believe my state of mind is reflective of the nation as a whole. We are all grappling with this administration’s proclivity to lob one distraction after another to keep us unbalanced and unfocused on looming threats to our democracy.

And there are looming threats.

We appear to be hurtling toward a totalitarian government ruled by a dotard whose only true talent seems to be the ability to foster chaos.

It looks as though those safeguards established by the Founders to combat just such an assault on democracy have faltered, with both the Congress and the courts struggling to address this administration’s numerous infractions. While the three branches flounder in maintaining our course, our nation is bombarded with crises which no current entity seems equipped to address.

The crisis on the border is real, though contrived. While thousands of immigrants are being caged and mistreated at the hands of our government, those of us who object seem to be left without a remedy. The visit of Vice President Pence to the border this weekend highlighted the depth of depravity to which we have fallen as a nation. As I looked at those young men behind bars, milling in that stark environment without the comfort of a place to lay their heads or water to drink, it reminds me of the slave ships that wrenched my people from the shores of Africa.  It reminds me of how my people were packed like sardines in a space not meant for human occupancy. I am reminded how they were left to wallow in their own filth and then accused of being filthy—as though it were a choice. It brings back to my memory stories of young children wrenched from the arms of their weeping mothers, stolen; never to be seen again. 

The crisis in healthcare is real. Millions of Americans stand in jeopardy of losing healthcare as the Republican-led Congress continues to devise methods to eviscerate the Affordable Health Care system.

The threat of climate change is real, as sea levels rise and states like Louisiana and Florida battle to hold back the tide.


Our judicial system is broken as black and brown bodies are warehoused and hate crimes are on the rise. National discourse is hateful and women and minorities are under attack. 


While we tout a low unemployment rate, millions of working Americans still can’t afford the basic necessities of life and must work two and three jobs just to get by.


The threats to this nation’s peace and prosperity are just too many to name. Trump simply plays a shell game with these issues, encouraging media to “look here—no look over there,” every time he feels threatened. And the media obliges. 


This administration has successfully thrown us all off balance. But we must focus. 


Those of us who know that we are on a path leading us away from the greatness first envisioned by the Founding Fathers must, in the words of John Lewis, “Keep Our Eyes on the Prize.” 

To maintain our democratic way of life, we must somehow cut through all the distractions and focus on the problem. And that problem is Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Together they have embraced a hysterical fear of the growing presence of minorities in this country. Both Trump and the GOP appear committed to use any measure necessary to dilute the voices of black and brown Americans. We must be equally committed to focus on the threats the administration holds toward American democratic rule and raise our voices in defense of our nation’s legacy.

Sunday, June 16, 2019

It is Time to Impeach!

By Mildred Robertson

In the words of Patrick Henry, “It is now time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.” In fact, it is past time. Trump has systematically attacked the very fabric of this nation, stepping over every line the Founding Fathers so carefully laid to maintain our Democracy. From the moment he descended the elevator in Trump Tower he has degraded the morals and the basic humanity that has set our nation apart from most other nations in the world. 

There is a litany of misdeeds and even crimes that can be attributed to this administration, but the most frightening is his quips regarding extending his presidency past the 8 years the Constitution allows. While many may see these statements as simply jest, if you watch this man, you will see that, like a spoiled child, he will test the boundaries to see how far he can go. This court jester would be king if the American public would allow it. We must not.
Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country. It is time for Americans…all Americans…Democrat, Republican, Independent, liberal, conservative or those in the middle of the road to say ENOUGH!
His childish name calling seemed not to be enough. His mocking of a physically challenged individual was not enough. His disparaging remarks about a Gold Star family was not enough. His insults toward Senator McCain were not enough. His complicity with Russia to thwart free and fair elections was not enough. His embrace of racial disharmony and hatred were not enough. His clownish antics on the world stage were not enough. His appointment of unqualified government officials was not enough, his nepotism was not enough. His disrespect for women and minorities was not enough. So what will be the thing that makes Americans see clearly the threat this man represents for our nation. What will it take to move to action those we’ve invested with the power to exert checks and balances on the authority of a rogue president?
It appears to me that there already exists ample evidence that the current administration is a clear and present danger to our country’s wellbeing. Yet those in power continue to wrestle with how and when, or even whether they should exert that authority.
If those in power, both Democrat and Republican, do not do their constitutional duty to hold this president responsible for his misdeeds, we will plunge toward our demise as a democracy. We are on a slippery slope toward authoritarianism and something must be done to stop our descent.  
When this chapter of American history closes, I want to stand on the side of democracy and sound governance. It is time to put an end to the chaos that is the Trump administration. It is time to impeach!

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Abortion Battle Should Push Women to the Polls


By Mildred Robertson

Most women, for most of our lives see motherhood as the fulfillment of our destiny. Even as little girls, we select the names of our imagined children and plan our journey into motherhood. For these women, there is nothing more exciting than planning and conceiving a child. But there is a flip side. An unplanned and unwanted pregnancy is gut wrenching, regardless of the circumstances under which it occurs.

There are all kinds of reasons why a woman…a family…must make the hard decision to terminate a pregnancy. The reasons are as myriad as there are women in the world to endure their consequences. There is rape, incest, an unviable fetus, danger to the health of the mother or even the emotional or financial inability to care for a child. Whatever the circumstance, It is not a decision that most women make lightly.

In Alabama, 25 men have taken it upon themselves to make that decision for all the women who live in their state. They have chosen to pass the most restrictive anti-abortion measure since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.  The legislation, House Bill 314, “Human Life Protection Act,” allows for abortion only when there is a serious health risk to the mother. Under this legislation, abortion for any reason other than to save the life of the mother, is a Class A felony that could jail a doctor performing an abortion for up to 99 years.  Attempted abortions would be reclassified to a Class C felony. The intent of the Alabama State legislature is to force the Supreme Court to revisit the abortion issue in hopes of overturning “Roe v. Wade". That means a 10-year-old rape victim would be forced to carry her rapist's child to term. 

Alabama is only one of 13 states which have launched an all-out assault on a woman’s right to choose. Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Dakota, Ohio and South Dakota have all passed legislation that restricts abortions; and Alabama, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin have pending legislation restricting women’s right to reproductive health care. Discussions surrounding this emotionally charged issue have devolved into pro-life supporters accusing those who support a woman’s right to choose as supporting infanticide.

While everyone has the right to their personal beliefs as it relates to abortion, one only has that right over their own person. That means that each woman must decide for herself what is right for her and her family. Further, history will tell us that making abortion illegal will not eliminate abortion – it will only eliminate “safe” abortion.

While many legislators across the country want to deny women the opportunity to choose what they do with their  own bodies, there is nothing they can do about what women do with their vote. Women must rise up in the 2020 election and take back their power. Those legislators who fail to understand or care about women’s right should be ushered out on a “pink wave.”  Women must  coalesce around progressive candidates who understand that we are perfectly capable of making hard decisions; including those related to who walks the halls of congress, and who sits in the oval office. We must change the face of those who govern us, so that their faces look more like our own.

Saturday, March 30, 2019

The Media is Not Fake—Just Incompetent

By Mildred Robertson

As I sat this past weekend and watched the train-wreck that was the rollout of the Mueller Report, I was astounded at its findings. I was saddened by the Attorney General’s response, and disappointed that the American people had been ill-served by a media that was eager to get the scoop, and that missed the opportunity to live up to the expectations of the Founders. The Founders rightfully posited that it was the news media; the “Fourth Estate”, that would truly keep us free. 
Unfortunately, the American media was duped by the “evil genius.”
It is and has been Donald Trump’s mantra that leading journalists across our nation represent “fake news,” as they fought to be the first to announce his every utterance. The media clamored to beat competitors to report on his every malevolent act. And they reported them over and over again. Trump’s purported misdeeds piled upon one another until it seemed irrefutable that the Mueller report would expose his corruption. While those on the left listened to pundits predicting his downfall, and those on the right chanted “no collusion”, American citizens had become numb to the conversation. 
The wall-to-wall coverage he was afforded during the presidential campaign made him ubiquitous in households across America. Whether you hated him or adored him, you sure knew what he was saying or doing almost every moment of the day. The media fed us a constant stream of small and large infractions that at first assaulted our sensibilities. But as the media continued to chip away at the Trump presidency and his organization, each infraction became less scandalous, less unnerving, and less outrageous than the last. Trump coverage began to affect us much as the rowdy relative at the family reunion. Misbehavior was to be expected. It became common place.
The major news networks were not reporting things that were fake. They were just reporting things that were not news. You see, if you told me yesterday that there was a dossier that alleged that Trump had been compromised by the Soviets, unless you have additional facts to support that statement today, it is not news. If you’ve informed me already that Trump is a womanizer who would take illegal steps to hide it, and you cannot add factual data to that story today, then it is not news. But the American public was fed a steady diet of Trump trivia all day, every day. 
He determined the news cycle. If it wasn’t going his way, he would do or say something outrageous. And the media fell for it. The most minute fact would send the media into a tail spin of competing news casts outlining every tiny detail of every tiny infraction. They came to call it, “going down the rabbit hole.” And Trump had lots of rabbits that he dispatched at will.
I contrast this mode of journalism to that which shaped our nation in the 1960’s. It was the media that turned the Civil Rights movement from a spark to a flame. They did not pontificate. They simply showed us the facts; facts made more impactful by the advent of broadcast television news. When they held up the mirror before our faces, America could not tolerate the image and demanded change.
But coverage of the Trump presidency has showered us with trivia, leaving the American public to dig through the minutia to find truth. We need more reporting and less punditry. We need more journalism and less entertainment. 
We don’t know what is in the Mueller report. But because of the way this conversation has been shaped, the fact that Mueller did not indict Trump is being viewed as a failure. However, the failure is not in the Mueller report; it is in the media reporting. 

Friday, February 22, 2019

Blatant Disregard for Voting Rights in North Carolina Challenged

By Mildred Robertson

The right to vote. It is the foundation upon which our democracy is built. And that right is under attack in the state of North Carolina, according to the Wake County Superior Court which just threw out two of the recently ratified NC constitutional amendments: voter I.D. and the income tax cap. The Court ruled that the North Carolina General Assembly is so profoundly gerrymandered that those elected do not represent the desires of citizens of this state. The Court stated that: "An illegally constituted General Assembly does not represent the people of North Carolina and is therefore not empowered to pass legislation that would amend the state's constitution."

This ruling comes down at the same time North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District struggles with a different kind of voter disenfranchisement. The State Board of Elections has declined to seat Republican John Harris who appeared to have won the November General Election by a little over 900 votes. The Board found that political operative McCrae Dowless committed fraud in running Harris’s absentee ballot campaign in Bladen County and refused to seat him. While Harris has fought to be seated since the election, claiming that the number of contested ballots would not have changed the outcome, on yesterday during a fraud hearing he capitulated to the Board’s call for a new race after blistering testimony from his son, John Harris. The younger Harris challenged his father’s statement that he was unaware of Dowless’ history of shady electioneering. John Harris went on to say that he had advised his father against hiring Dowless.

These are very real examples of why federal oversight of voting rights in the South is as important today as it was when the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. That Act was aimed at overcoming legal barriers at the state and local levels that prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote as guaranteed under the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The obvious gerrymandering of North Carolina voting districts, as well as the brazen manipulation and destruction of absentee ballots in Bladen County are representative of a blatant disrespect for minority voting rights in this state. We can take some comfort in the fact that the Wake County Superior Court and the State Board of Elections did their due diligence to level the playing field in these instances. But how many other similar situations have gone unchallenged? How many legislators sit in our halls of democracy as illegitimate representatives of the districts they purport to serve?

And, unfortunately, North Carolina does not stand alone. We can look to states such as Florida and Georgia to discern that the “New South” is not that new. Questionable election practices in both these states leave us to wonder at the legitimacy of those elections. The question is, was every vote counted, and did every citizen have access?

If we do not safeguard the right of every citizen to participate in our democracy then we fail to live up to our fullest potential. Candidates should not choose their voters. Voters should not have to suffer undue hardships to gain access to the ballot box and every legitimate vote should be counted.

In order for us to be a truly self-governing republic, our elected officials must represent our core values and beliefs.  If their very existence is based on illegally constituted districts and irregular election practices how can they possibly represent us?

The Wake County Superior Court and the North Carolina Board of Elections say they cannot. For that, at least we can be thankful.



Thursday, February 14, 2019

Progressives Must Vet Presidential Hopefuls with Civility


By Mildred Robertson

As more and more democrats announce their intention to run during the 2020 Presidential Election, the feeding frenzy begins. Mainstream media and self-prescribed social media pundits alike have begun to dissect each candidate, laying bear their perceived or actual flaws in order to promote their preferred candidate. My advice to progressives hoping to see a better outcome in 2020 than we got in 2016—STOP IT!

Don’t get me wrong; a healthy discussion about each candidate and his or her historic stance on key issues is imperative. But that discussion needs to be based on actual, documented facts; not just select anecdotes and social media tropes that do not fully vet the candidates’ positions, action or intent.

What we all must do now is listen, research and select the candidate that most closely reflects our own views and political positions; and determine whether he or she can stand the national spotlight and the attacks that will surely come from the GOP. It is not necessary for us to do the work of the GOP by fatally wounding every democratic candidate during the primaries. By so doing, we provide a road map to a 2020 victory for the Republicans.

What I see when I look out at the field of Democratic presidential hopefuls is a diverse set of talent and experience. There appear to be many qualified candidates that can pick up the progressive mantle and carry it to a November 2020 victory. Our job is to elevate the one, without denigrating all the others.

There are a number of candidates who I think have what it takes to lead effectively. Many hold the same or similar political positions that I hold. There are some who seem completely authentic, and there are some who seem to have the political chops to turn positions into policy. But none of that is important if they cannot survive the meat grinder that is the presidential election process. We have to look carefully at all these candidates and determine the one who best represents our progressive agenda while simultaneously determining that he or she can make it through the primaries and survive national scrutiny in the presidential election.

Let’s not make the same mistakes in 2020 that we made in 2016. Let’s debate the issues facing progressives, but keep the fight in the family civil. Save the vitriol for the Grand Old Party.


Friday, January 11, 2019

America on the Brink: A Congress in Crisis


By Mildred Robertson

Our government is comprised of three distinct co-equal branches of government intended to bring balance to our nation’s governance.  It is sometimes referred to as a “Three Legged Stool”. It is necessary for each branch to carry out its function to maintain a stable government. The unorthodox presidency of Donald J. Trump appears to threaten that stability; and the “stool,” which represents our government, is in danger of toppling.  We have arrived at this juncture, due in large part to the failure of Congress to carry out its duty to perform oversight and represent the people who elected them.

As envisioned by our Founders, Congress is called upon to “share” power with the president and Supreme Court. But the Trump presidency has challenged this convention by power grabs that have gone unchallenged by the Republican-led Congress.  To date, only the courts have challenged the immoral, unlawful and/or unconstitutional acts of the Trump presidency. The impotency of the 115th United States Congress has placed this nation on the brink of a Constitutional crisis.

After two years under this administration we have seen unprecedented attacks on the values, mores and legal precedents that have made America a unique world leader. As the 45th president attempts to unilaterally govern, we find ourselves plummeting toward an autocracy that devalues women, discriminates against minorities, is oblivious to sound fiduciary policy, and promotes factless policy. Under Trump’s soulless leadership, the worst tendencies of the most depraved of our society have been amplified.  

As the nation whirls in a downward spiral, those who could regulate this run-away presidency stand silent and complicit. U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan was all but invisible throughout his tenure as Speaker of the House; allowing House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes to corrupt the investigations of wrong-doings by the Trump administration while passing a deficit-busting tax cut for the rich.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has blocked all efforts to legislatively circumvent Trump’s overreach regarding presidential powers. He stands silently now as the president holds the nation hostage over an ill-conceived wall that is both useless and costly. Thousands of Americans are in danger of losing everything in the wake of a government shutdown devised to save face for the president’s failure to deliver on a campaign promise.  Still, McConnell stands silent.

The president has threatened to invoke emergency powers for no reason other than to get his way.   With two legs of the proverbial stool severely compromised, its ability to stand is in question.

We are in crisis, but it is a crisis that can be averted. Now that Nancy Pelosi has replaced Ryan as Speaker of the House, there is hope that Congress may once again begin to exert some power over this run-away presidency. But she cannot do it alone…the Democrats in the House cannot do it alone.

The Republicans in the Senate must rise above party and tend to the needs of the country. They will either step up or watch this nation devolve. They must embrace their oversight role and block this president’s attempts at authoritarianism. They will have to do it without any assistance from McConnell.

 It is my prayer that the vow Congressional Republicans made to the Constitution and the American people will override their loyalty to the Republican Party. Otherwise, this president will continue to destroy our nation, and we will plunge headlong over the brink.