Michael Connelly
I have been
asked if I believe that in their unprecedented opposition to the Presidency of
Donald Trump some Democrats and other so-called progressives are breaking the law.
As a staunch supporter of the Constitution and the right of free speech,
freedom of the press, and the right of the American people to peacefully
assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances I would have to
say no in most cases.
Unfortunately,
a significant number of people are crossing the line and engaging in acts that
are criminal in nature. For example, the right to exercise freedom of speech is
not absolute and does not give anyone the right to keep others from exercising
the same right. Yet, that is what is happening all over the country when progressives
use the concept of political correctness to harass and shut down anyone who
dares to disagree with them.
This
is happening particularly on college campuses where students are being punished
by left wing professors and administrators for saying something that they
disagree with. Even supporting a political candidate they disagree with can
lead to sanctions. It is also being carried to the extreme when students and
faculty members attempt to keep someone they don’t like from making a speech on
a college campus by violently demonstrating, and even physically attacking the
speakers. There is no question that this is a violation of the rights of other
individuals and therefore a criminal act.
The
Constitution provides Americans with the right to peacefully assemble and the
operative word is “peacefully”. Millions of Americans opposed the policies of
President Obama and the Democrats in control of congress. They were appalled by
the passage of Obamacare that was done in secret by the Democrat controlled
Congress, and by numerous other actions by the President and his allies. This
resulted in the formation of grassroots organizations like the Tea Parties and people
took to the streets and held rallies to express their opposition.
They
carried signs and American flags, and they made speeches. They did not
physically attack those who disagreed with them; they did not set fires, break
windows, or assault police officers. They simply exercised their Constitutional
right to peaceful assembly. Let’s fast forward to the recent demonstrations by
the progressives and their allies that are anything but peaceful. They often
include violence against people and private property, and these activities are
almost never condemned by anyone on the left, but tacitly encouraged, even by
the liberal mainstream media.
The
latest moves come from the ACLU, a bogus civil libertarian organization that
actually seeks to destroy our Constitutional liberties instead of preserving
them. They are pushing to organize efforts to create “freedom cities” where
police and other local government officials will be coerced into violating
federal immigration law by protecting illegal aliens, even those with criminal
convictions or potential ties to terrorism from being arrested and/or deported.
I
contend that all of this amounts to a criminal conspiracy particularly since
there is overwhelming evidence that some of the protestors are paid and receive
the encouragement of left wing politicians like former attorney general Loretta
Lynch who has called on people to take to the streets, bleed and if necessary
die to bring down the Trump administration. That certainly sounds like a call
for violence and the comments were contained in a video gleefully released by
Senate Democrats.
This
fits the classic definition of sedition that was included in the 1918 Sedition
Act passed by congress that prohibited "disloyal,
profane, scurrilous, or abusive language" about the U.S. government, our
flag, or military during time of war. This act was ultimately upheld by the
United States Supreme Court, but has been modified over the years by the
dissenting opinion of Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. who called for the law
only to be enforced when someone created a “clear and present danger” of
immediate criminal action.
I have always agreed with the position
taken by Justice Holmes and later court decisions. Yet, I also believe that
comments along the lines of those made by Loretta Lynch and some other
progressives fall within the clear and present danger test because they
encourage criminal activity. In addition, I believe that some of what is
occurring today also falls within the constitutional definition of treason that
includes providing “aid and comfort” to the enemies of the United States.
When someone in our government releases
information that threatens our national security and provides aid and comfort
to our enemies it is treason. It doesn’t matter if the information is given to
ISIS, a foreign nation like Russia, China, North Korea, Iran etc. or to WikiLeaks
or the New York Times, it is still treason because it endangers Americans. Further,
when the New York Times, or any other news agencies publishes this leaked
information, it is treason.
There is also something else to be
considered. Everyone who works for our government takes the same oath of office
that I took as a member of the U.S. Army, “to protect and defend the
Constitution of the United States” and there are federal criminal penalties for
violating that oath. These penalties include a $10,000 fine, and up to one year
in prison for doing anything that denigrates our constitution or attempts to
destroy our Constitutional Republic.
To sum this up, I believe we are looking
at a wide spread criminal conspiracy on the part of left wing organizations, elected
officials, government employees, and members of the main stream media to bring
down not only the Trump administration, but also the United States as we know
it.
Michael Connelly
