In 2016, I wrote letters to a number of GOP Senators asking them to hold the line against the destructive tendencies of Trump. It seemed clear that his administration would attempt to harm our country’s institutions, our people, and attempt to seize power for selfish aims. I wish I’d been wrong.
I still feel writing is an important action, and include a snail-mail draft at bottom if you want to join me. I hope moving forward that these men and women will feel the mandate by the people, and act boldly when needed. John McCain certainly did. I’m sorry he is no longer with us.
Yet, I’ve often found myself at a loss who to write to, because it seems like there are very few individuals willing to go above and beyond their job descriptions to do what is right, even if it costs them personally and politically.
And, that’s the kind of people we need right now: those who are willing to rise above their job descriptions and act boldly for the collective good: to align their movements with the levers – and the spirit – of the law.
The way I see it, an effective counter to this destructive and greedy GOP Administration is garden-variety Courageous Common Decency.
Who has the teeth and vision to protect our nations’ charter, character, and north star? Who can trust our Constitution and carry its finest trajectory forward?
Even though a few Reps and Senators speak boldly, not enough individual members seem able to coalesce Congress as a whole to make functional use of the emoluments clause, the 25th Amendment, Impeachments, or even just assure ordinary budget disbursements on which they hold power. Why is that?
In my world, this is not a time for “business as usual.” Bold, cohesive action by an entire, co-equal branch of government is needed to protect what we’ve been working on for 250 years.1
And don’t mess with people’s food for your amusement.
Congress is supposed to first act on behalf of the Constitution2 , then posture for their districts. That’s called survival of the institution. You can’t do much democratic work if the institution that employs you fails.
I care deeply about this nation, not just my pleasant little corner of it. And I feel like the forces exerted on American families right now is pushing ordinary people into smaller and smaller spheres, with fewer resources to boot and greater demands on them too.
Not to mention daily life impingements: people of color must rely on their networks of family and friends to navigate the threats of ICE harassment. Journalists, intellectuals, and teachers are getting edicts to self-censor3, and everyday people are being sold a bill not of goods, but of un-American lies.4
Normal, rational people with government jobs also know they need to keep their heads down and “get along” lest they lose the ability to support their families. We know they may lose those jobs anyway, because this administration is savage. No matter how good (perhaps because you are good), you can still lose position to an odd man who would be king. That’s because he is unafraid of doing shameful things.
Reminder: he’s not a king. Just shameful.
For citizens to become quiet and insular, looking out only for “their own” is a natural, self-protective stance: shrinking and hiding to avoid danger. But this is not what this country was founded on, and not what we need now either. We are collectively courageous, and we CAN stand for bigger, greater ideals at every single turn. Yeah, even if we’ve had mixed execution all along the way – our nation can’t be afraid of our collective shames and misfires. This is because “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” a deep truth spoken by Martin Luther King, Jr.
We only need to keep aiming true and moving forward. This is progressive.
MAGA is regressive by definition. Literally.
Our nation has routinely course-corrected toward the direction of more rights for more people. Because it works. This also has made US a desirable place to be. We’ve been evolving and people love that and want to join in. Yes, this is okay. Desirable even.
People, especially immigrants, and lower and middle classes, are being harmed by benefits disruption, health care struggles, edicts on how families and communities can care for their own people, and fear. Rational, moderate folks likely also sense this is not a time to stick your head up too far.
But we need rational moderates to protect our nation’s solid foundation. Liberals alone can’t do it.
We can’t run a nation citing “enemies within.” This is dangerous and we all know it. We can run our nation on pride, inclusion, assimilation, opportunity, discussion, inquiry, investment, education, and listening.
It seems many good, smart people are afraid to speak up too loudly, lest an emperor wanna-be with a golden name5 sicks sycophants on them, or harms their pocketbook and sets them back.
We know who is grabbing power in our nation, and who is supposed to hold the power: three co-equal branches. Congress, as a body, can check effectively, if they understand how to coalesce in power.
We are the United States because we are a United People.
At our core, we believe in due process for everyone. We have a three-branch government, and a critical fourth pillar: independent journalism. Equal powers with dispassionate, factual information protects an over-arching vision that birthed our nation and has naturally evolved over time to give more and more rights to humans within our borders. This IS our greatness: human rights, not citizens-only rights.
So, I’m writing (and will eventually edit to a one-pager- the hard part for me) the letter to Congress below, and start sending them snail mail. Perhaps to all 100 Senators and also 453 Representatives. Would like to work with me on this? Drop me an email if so. Or just do it yourself, your own way in your own words.
Snail mail for emphasis!
Dear Representative :
I stopped writing to members of Congress a while back because it felt futile, but am reaching out to you again, because it’s my job. I hope these words will embolden you to continue to do your whole job: protecting democracy as the institution that empowers your role and is what needs to be protected so you can do your job for the people.
I know you know that Trump’s attempts to re-work our nation into a business at best, or an authoritarian state at worst is destructive and cannot continue, lest we lose our individual and collective freedoms while being fleeced by oligarchs and foreign actors. Our government has always been by and for the people, not for a sick man who uses retaliation and fealty as levers of government.
Capturing land to create wealth may have been what founding fathers did, but it was not the best of what they wanted to do: create true freedom, by democratic rule. The aim.
I see it is your job to represent your constituents, and to stop authoritarians from stealing power from you. You took an oath to protect the Constitution, and you also know the Constitution is anti-authoritarian by its very nature.
We need you to work harder and smarter for The People, not play the country club games like “whew, I survived without embarrassment,” or the selfish game some play called, “look, I’m safe” or even the provincial, “I cut a deal which works for me and mine.”
Your wins have not always been honored if you look carefully enough. Being independent means you may get primaried. Not to mention how this GOP administration could not get food stamps to their constituents on time.
It is never too late to stand for something greater than your own self-preservation.
Hey, you and your family will be fine with lifetime health care and connections with the wealth-sector.
But what of those families who voted for you? Will they be safe? My family, and my elders are feeling the pain of this GOP administration. And this pain is unnecessary and undeserved. And foolish.
People know when their needs are being disregarded. They don’t like it.
We the People need to see some results. We need to see you stepping into the true “oomph” of your role, which is granted by the Constitution and includes use of all the powers ascribed therein. You are not only lawmakers, you have the unique co-equal role.
Basically, you are cops of the Executive Branch and the circus caravan needs to get pulled over.
Your job includes censoring and removing rogue autocrats, because that’s what we left behind us two and a half centuries ago when we fought being a new nation. We confirmed our beliefs during WWII when we fought fascism as BAD. I still think so, how about you?
We never said, “in capitalism we trust.” We also never agreed to “life, liberty and efficient ROI.” While deal-making is a part of Congress’s job, it should not be mistaken for the concept hijacked by a man who is not at all artful and curries personal and international favor over caring for his own people.6
Just because our culture is being taken over by celebrities and CEOs, doesn’t mean our government should be too.
You are in office because of us, with solid jobs and hanging out in a house of important people. We have faith in your intelligence, strategy, and your ability to work cross-aisle. We also have faith you can act morally (protecting life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness), and protect citizens – and all humans– rights to be themselves and be treated with dignity. Oh yes, and to keep religion out of the White House.
We’ve always done things better here: treated people with progressively greater dignity and opportunity and we’ve grown stronger and more innovative as a result.
Unfortunately, you collectively punted on the emoluments clause at Trump’s initial installation at President. Then tried some more by impeaching twice. Good on you for getting him impeached, but then you stopped. Even if late, maybe you need to enforce those impeachments, not just to show teeth, but to bite. Who among you can figure this out?
Where are your best meta-negotiators? The brilliant, sane, and fearless among you who know he is only another man, albeit slippery and mean with some really troublesome advisors.
The United States is your domain. It is also mine.The Constitution says Legislature carries “equal” power. That means as much as the Executive Branch. Hopefully, you are also the ones who listen to The People.
So, I’m writing to you person to person.
When the office of the President of this great nation becomes perverted – shooting down ships on the open seas, just because he says so, we need to act. The man is a documented liar, and we all know indiscriminate killing is wrong – so it’s time to right OUR ship. We, The People, are not tyrants.
And this includes anyone who’s fought their way to be here.
Just in case you’d like to defer: we all know it is the Judicial Branch’s jobs to do enforce legislation and the Constitution, but we also know for years, the GOP “winning” machine has installed personal loyalists and is wielding undue and unorthodox power via the Justice Department too.
If you wait for them, well, you have missed the boat. If you step up now, you just might rise to the occasion.
The power is and always has been with the people, and you represent us. Please get to it. Band together like the body and protect our democracy, then you can go back to focus on taking care of your own. We know we are all in this together. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Name
Address
FOOTNOTES & SUB-SUBTEXT 😉
- Note: my state of Rhode Island is considered blue – decidedly democratic. My congressional representatives are smart, sharp and articulate, and they are winning in rhetoric and in holding the line here. We are the lucky ones. ↩︎
- If you read The Constitution and note the capitalization of key nouns and concepts, it begs some intriguing questions. Perhaps these terms receive special treatment, because, like people, they hold the keys to our collective values. ↩︎
- Censorship is a tenet of oppression: implying danger for speaking up, makes a percentage of people speak more carefully.
↩︎ - Should someone want to accuse you of anything (or even just harm you), your online presence (and/or someone with AI) can produce a suitable clip that becomes a rotten apple of the public eye. Because of this I feel like government in bed with tech bros is unhealthy but getting cemented because massive campaign funding gives access.
↩︎ - The family name is Drumpf. They changed it to Trump. Ironic how DJ wound up bankrupting casinos – a place where a Trump card is always “supposed to” win.
Another take is that the gold plated Drumpf wound up being the only ‘card’ that could bankrupt an institution where the house always wins. Why would anyone sign up for this: a destructive huckster, where only he and his country club cronies have fun and enjoy the all-you-can-eat dinners?
↩︎ - The author of The Art of the Deal experienced great remorse and described Trump’s unusual nature. ↩︎
