John Philpot Curran once said, “The condition on which God gave man liberty is eternal vigilance…” Philpot’s statement has morphed into, “The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.” We citizens are the ones who are required to be eternally vigilant.
It is worth reflecting on Donald Trump’s oft-repeated views on the Constitution, which defines our freedoms and establishes the rule of law to protect them. It is also worth reflecting on our duty to constantly monitor our elected officials and those running for office to ensure that they are upholding the Constitution.
Here are just two examples of Mr. Trump expressing his dislike for the Constitution. “A massive fraud of this kind and magnitude allows the repeal of every rule, regulation, and article, even those in the Constitution,” he wrote. “Our great ‘founders’ did not want, nor would they tolerate, a false and fraudulent election!” (PBS News, 4/24/12)
In an interview with Sean Hannity, AP reported this exchange with Mr Trump: “You’re not going to be a dictator, are you?” “No, no, no, except for the first day. We close the border and drill, drill, drill. After that, I’m not a dictator anymore.”
Numerous courts, including several with Trump-appointed judges, have found the claim that the 2020 election was fraudulent to be without merit. Therefore, Trump’s claim that the election should have been overturned is based on a lie. Even if it were true, he could have challenged it in court, which he tried to do without success. Then came January 6. Trump’s disregard for the Constitution and the rule of law is evident in his refusal to accept the legally adjudicated 2020 election results and his claim that his conviction on 34 counts was rigged.
I have searched the Constitution for any indication that presidents have any dictatorial powers or are exempt from any law on any given day. Quite the opposite. Nor does it give presidents the power to “build the wall and drill, drill, drill.” The power to set immigration policy, issue regulations, and decide on the use of federal land rests solely with Congress, not the president. Readers may recall the sacrosanct (not so sacrosanct lately, it seems) separation of powers. That, too, is in the Constitution.
Basic economics refute the plan to drill more. The U.S. is a small net oil exporter, so we are energy independent, at least as far as oil-based energy is concerned. If we “drill, drill, drill,” thereby increasing the world’s oil supply, the price of oil will fall. Other oil-exporting countries will not like that, particularly Saudi Arabia and Iraq, which exports about 3.5 million barrels a day. Iraq already has a long list of grievances against us. Adding more wood to that fire will not help. And of course, a lower oil price will reduce the profitability of those doing the drilling. They will therefore be less inclined to drill, and may even shut down some existing production capacity.
If you agree with Mr. Trump that the Constitution is no longer valid, then you are probably also ignoring this from the Declaration of Independence: “A prince whose character is marked by every act which might distinguish a tyrant, is not fit to be the ruler of a free people.” Rejecting both the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence can only mean supporting an authoritarian rule that sacrifices personal liberty for “any act which might distinguish” the will of Donald Trump.
Preserving freedom requires the constant vigilance of citizens, demanding that our elected officials act in ways that support our fundamental beliefs of democracy, freedom, and a just society as enshrined in the Constitution. We do this by loving freedom and the rule of law and by believing in truth and elections.
People of good will disagree about political goals. Until recently, we have resolved these differences civilly in Congress, in the courts, and at the ballot box. I thank God that we have the freedom to do so. That freedom is fragile and requires our eternal vigilance.
You may not like the Democrats’ agenda, or not like it in its entirety; I don’t like it either. But they are the party that is stepping into the breach to defend democracy. It is obvious that Trump seeks authoritarian rule, so he poses an existential threat to democracy. Vigilance in defending constitutional freedom requires that we do not allow him to succeed.
Patrick Taylor lives in Ridgeland.
