William T. Robinson, Jr.
We are living in a time when you have a growing number of citizens literally praying and hoping elected officials make the right choice to pursue truth and justice, regardless of temptations or personal agendas acting against what may be considered in the best interests of the country. Recently, you find many Tennesseans, especially the African American population, who are extremely disappointed and embarrassed at the decision made by our two Republican senators, Marsha Blackburn and Lamar Alexander, who voted against subpoenaing witnesses in the Senate trial of the impeachment of the POTUS.
Some people would have expected Sen. Marsha Blackburn who has been compared to a female version of Donald Trump to vote against subpoenaing witnesses, opting to follow party lines. But some people thought Sen. Lamar Alexander would exercise his moral compass and do the right thing. And let’s not play games, regardless of arguments made by some venomous, manipulating lawyers, a legitimate trial needs witnesses—if you are truly interested in deciphering the truth, which most Americans feel they deserved.
Excuses offered by senators in Trump’s impeachment trial included statements that witnesses would hamper an expedient trial or that they just personally didn’t feel like the charges against the president warranted impeachment causing him to be evicted from the office of president. Sen. Alexander voted not to include subpoenas for additional witnesses and documents in the impeachment trial of President Donald J. Trump, thus solidifying the POTUS’s acquittal. The senator felt the president’s actions were inappropriate but not impeachable and further evidence was unnecessary.
Many Americans feel that most of the senators chose to disregard and dishonor their wish to subpoena witnesses to verify the truth for themselves. The guilty senators can rationalize and make excuses if they must, but history will judge them, and it is likely they will be on the wrong side of history. It is probable they have tarnished if not destroyed the legacies they have built for themselves up to this point.
The Republican senators, as a whole, chose to put party affiliation and loyalty to the president above the wishes of the majority of the people who wanted witnesses to determine the truth for themselves. But what could be considered the greater disappointment concerns the Senate taking a constitutional oath to be non-partisan in their pursuit of the truth—an oath that was undeniably broken. When the American people have elected Congressmen who are unwilling to do what is for the greater good of the American people, it says a lot. Truth versus expediency lost out. Doing what is right lost out.
The Republican senators got a Pyrrhic victory, a victory won at too great a cost—one that will probably come back to bite them. The public is being led to believe this is about political parties wrangling to get a political advantage on the upcoming presidential election. But in all honesty, putting parties aside, it is about some Republicans hoping to secure their elected office by supporting or enabling an immoral, inept man who has no business being the president of this country.
The POTUS happens to be a Republican, but many Americans feel Republicans should be doing everything to get rid of this man unless they personally identify with what many consider to be a racist, misogynist and habitual liar. In all honesty, it can be deducted that the Republican Party’s support for this POTUS is a grave disservice to the party, belittling their credibility as an honorable party. It is then relegated to being a racist immoral party.
Many Trump supporters use the booming economy (originally kick-started by former President Obama) as an argument to justify or rationalize their support. This shouldn’t distract from the truth of the appalling immoral behavior the POTUS has continuously shown the American public. Is this amoral president really a person groups like the evangelicals would support if he weren’t a Republican?
It is obvious that some people don’t have a moral compass or the fortitude to stand up for what we all know is right. How can some of our Congressmen harbor resentment and disgust at those who don’t support the Constitution, stand for the national anthem or refuse to recite the pledge of allegiance when so many of their own actions are questionable? Ask yourself if the cost of dancing with the Devil is worth it.
Tennessee is considered a red state that many African Americans feel caters to a lot of racist and apathetic groups. But we are thankful for Davidson County and a couple of surrounding counties that are blue, more liberal and that show more empathy and diversity. Our state senators could do well to consider the feelings of all constituents. One would think a Congressman’s moral compass and desire to do what they know is right would trump allegiance to a party or group, making an immoral stance against what is for the greater good of the nation. Let’s continue to pray that we are blessed with elected officials with strong uncompromising morals, willing to stand up for what we all know is right in the face of adversity.
