By Carol Lucas
Today is Monday, and as I sit at my computer and attempt to write this week’s article, I find myself challenged. That challenge is magnified 10 times over by the fact that it is Monday. By now (usually), I would have written on Saturday, proofread for the second time on Sunday, and submitted by Sunday evening.
This self-imposed schedule usually serves me well, although I recognize that there are those who prefer I don’t write at all. I am always amused by those who occasionally have to rend their clothing and cry out about my TDS. Yes, there is TD, that of 47 on a grand scale; and there is WI, the willful ignorance of those who refuse to see 47’s deranged state of mind. But I digress.
What I finally settled upon is something I think is often lost in the shuffle – the one group that permits our democracy to hang on by the skin of our teeth. I am referring to the legal decisions rendered by the courts, Supreme Court being the exception. We know where that vote lies. SCOTUS has given Trump 90% favorable rulings.
I am speaking about the numerous decisions handed down during 47’s time in the presidency, many set forth by judges nominated and placed by 47, himself. That last statement should speak volumes to those of you who are deniers.
Perhaps one of the most edifying for those of us who see clearly the corruption of this administration came from U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams. She ruled that “Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns was filed for an ‘improper purpose’ and described it as an effort to use the courts to legitimize a deal benefiting Trump, his family, and his allies.”
The agreement would have protected Trump and members of his family from future tax audits while also creating a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to compensate people claiming they had been unfairly targeted by the government.
She added that the case was “an attempt to use the Court to provide some legitimacy to an agreement to confer immunity to people and entities affiliated with the President and to earmark billions of dollars from American taxpayers to redress grievances not defined in the law.”
I found many examples where the present administration has been thwarted in the efforts to overtake so many aspects of our lives. There is no way I can include all of these, but if you, dear reader, are so inclined, the internet is rife with information.
One aspect of this was made over and over – judges critical of this administration were appointed by both parties. More than one third of the judges in critical cases were appointed by Republicans, including 11 by 47 himself.
My research found that some of these cases involved agency closures, many impacting middle and lower income families. Others included museums and libraries. I can only surmise that cuts made here would impact education as well as our history, something 47 and his cohorts desperately wish to rewrite.
They also want to cut funding to public funding of media, such as Voice of America. Anyone with a pulse recognizes the motivation behind that, whether or not they choose to acknowledge it.
And then there is one I must include, State of New York v. Kennedy. Attorneys general from 19 states and WDC challenged cuts to the U.S. Health and Human Services agency. Perhaps a serving of bear stew might have saved the day. Again, I digress.
This is just a sampling of the examples this administration has pushed into the legal arena. The status of executive action is this: partially or fully blocked, 150; left in effect, 102; pending, 107.
I will conclude with this. It is apparent that the lower court judges are challenging 47’s war on “the rule of law.” The wheels of justice often grind slowly. Let’s just pray they continue to grind.
Carol Lucas is a retired high school teacher and a Lady’s Island resident. She is the author of the recently published “A Breath Away: One Woman’s Journey Through Widowhood.”