AMERICA INDICTED: Why the Trump Indictment is an Attack on American Values
America changed on March 30th, 2023. An unprecedented attack on America soil cemented itself in history forever. It didn’t come from radical extremists out side the country. It didn’t cause a loss of life or physical injury. It came from within, from within our very own justice system. This day will be remembered in history.
On Thursday, President Trump became the first American President to ever be indicted. News of the indictment drew worldwide coverage and resulted in the celebration by many people on one side, and outrage by people on the other. While most legal experts believe this case has no merit whatsoever because it rests on a fringe legal theory that has never been tested and has no precedent, this did not stop the forever disgraced DA of New York City, Alvin Bragg, from going forward with this case.
Thomas Jefferson famously wrote in the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” With the Trump indictment, these truths were completely violated.
Trump is not being treated equally by the law. There is no legal precedent to move forward in this case. In fact there is legal precedent to NOT move forward. Former presidential candidate John Edwards was accused of using campaign contributions to pay his mistress hush money payments, who he also had a child with. Edwards ultimately had all his charges dropped by the DOJ.
Liberty is defined as the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one’s way of life, behavior, or political views. If an American citizen were to be investigated two separate times and prosecutors declined to press charges and if they were charged after 7 years went by, liberty would not be possible in this person’s life. This is exactly what has happened to Trump. The case is well beyond the statute of limitations. In order to get around that, Bragg wants to turn a misdemeanor into a felony by attaching the misdemeanor to a federal crime that was never prosecuted by the federal government or the previous D.A. of New York, Cyrus Vance Jr, to begin within.
Happiness is subjective to each person. But the opportunity to be happy rests in freedom from tyranny and freedom to live life as one chooses. This core tenant has separated the United States from much of the rest of the world. It’s been other countries who have jailed political opponents, staged coup d’état, and cracked down on freedom of speech. America has had problems and difficulties, but has always maintained a stable and consistent, non politicized rule of law. That’s all been thrown out the window.
America can no longer claim moral superiority over nations around the world after what happened yesterday. Our values can no longer be used as an example for a better world. Perhaps that is the most tragic part of this whole story.