close

LETTER A dictatorship’s trial balloons

4 min read
article image -

The recent forcible separation of children from parents who are seeking asylum at the U.S. border or entering the country illegally is reminiscent of the actions of other dictatorships in history. It is easy, almost to the point of being trite, to compare the Trump administration’s actions to Nazi Germany. Yet the analogy is a perfect fit, and should not be discarded.

This is not the only episode revealing Trump’s desire to become a dictator. Consider the Muslim ban where the nations designated have yet to produce a terrorist who acted against our country, while a monarchy like Saudi Arabia, not on the list, accounted for 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers. The Saudis treated Trump like royalty during his visit, and I have little doubt that Trump would not settle for a monarchy if he could not attain a dictatorship. Trump does not limit himself to actions in an attempt to normalize the idea of an autocratic government; many statements he makes reveal his intent. The latest example is his praise of Kim Jong Un after his summit meeting in Singapore. While noting with obvious enthusiasm Kim’s strong leadership, he said, “He speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same.” But like any trial balloon, Trump signed an executive order supposedly terminating the separation of children from their parents, and later said about the sit-up-at-attention quote that he was only kidding.

Tyrannies often use religious belief to help control the population. The Trump administration is no exception. Jeff Sessions has quoted the Bible to justify the tactics being used at our southern border. The quote from St. Paul justifying obedience to a government as the will of God continues the radical Christian efforts to turn our country into a theocracy. That the attorney general, a position charged with upholding the Constitution and rule of law, should make such a statement in direct conflict with the establishment clause of the First Amendment is anathema to the meaning of that clause.

Criminally prosecuting those seeking asylum is in violation of international law, as is the separation of children from those parents who are being detained. The Convention and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, to which the U.S. is legally bound, prohibits asylum seekers from being criminally prosecuted. The Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment prohibits the separation of children from their parents. The officers of ICE who forcibly separated children from their parents have broken international law. And even if the officers were unaware of the law, basic human morality should have convinced them not to obey the orders that led to this tragedy. Ignorance of the law is no excuse, and just following orders, as Nazis convicted at Nuremburg learned, is no defense. These illegal and immoral actions were effected by our government, the same government that speaks for all of us on the world stage.

Republican members of Congress bear as much guilt as anyone for not standing up to Trump. More concerned about being re-elected than doing the legal and morally right thing, they have again shown a lack of moral backbone. The Democrats have been little better. Only mealy-mouthed catchphrases were offered that do nothing to ameliorate this horrible situation.

It is doubtful that the thousands of children detained in this operation will ever see their parents again. The government agencies responsible for the children’s welfare, and the return to their parents, was not, and is still not, properly prepared to effectively do what they have been made responsible for.

During the past few months my beloved republic has been pushed closer to autocracy by a man who has no understanding of the Constitution or rule of law, or any kind of moral compass. I’m an old man; my expiration date is not far off. So selfishly and hopefully I won’t live long enough to see the complete demise of what was once a great nation.

LeRoy W. Bloom

Lawrence

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $3.75/week.

Subscribe Today