Independence Day

"All men are created equal ..." Declaration of Independence

"I am the president, and they're not." -- Donald Trump

   This president is an embarrassment to America, and this is not the first time he has claimed to be more equal than others.
   Courtesy, civility and respect are words that do not apply to this person. He came to the presidency by rigging the system that was designed to keep out such as he -- incompetent, ignorant demagogues who know just barely enough to become successful in business but are incapable of transferring that small knowledge in one field to the universe of expertise needed to lead a nation.
   Meanwhile, the criticism continues throughout free America, where journalists, members of Congress and the general public exercise their unalienable right and duty to hold accountable any government official who fails in his job.
   In retaliation, this Oval Office job holder pounces on critics as purveyors of "fake news," insisting that the only real truth is found in his private world of "alternative facts." But in doing so, he provides more fodder for information-hungry readers and TV viewers.
   The free press dutifully publishes his rants, since he is the chief executive of the American government, but also puts them in context with other issues that are clearly more important, as well as explaining why the raging accusations and personal attacks on individual critics are misleading, incomplete, and often flat-out lies.
   May it always be so. And as long as the Constitution and the First Amendment remain in effect, it will be.
   Unless, of course, the dictator-in-waiting attempts to suspend the Constitution and nullify the Bill of Rights.
   It's been tried before, through a federal law passed in 1798 making it a crime to criticize the government. That didn't last, however, and the president who tried it was ousted in next election two years later.
   This time, however, it may be critical that Americans not wait until the end of his term before firing this president. His abuses are so egregious that it is crucial he be removed from office as soon as possible.
   When a long train of abuses makes it necessary for a people to sever the ties that connect them  to a president, a decent respect for the opinions of the world requires that they declare the causes that impel them to the separation.
   The list of abuses perpetrated by this president has been catalogued and published many times by the free and independent American press, even as the list continues to grow daily.
   Now it is time to act, and Congress, with its elected representatives of the American people, has the authority and the responsibility to remove him from the Oval Office.
   There are at least two ways, both enumerated in the Constitution, and until Congress acts, the free and independent press of America will continue to exercise its right and responsibility to expose this president's lies, illegal acts and unconstitutional behavior, no matter how often or how hard the president attacks those who dare to disagree with him.
   The alternative must never become fact.