By Carol Lucas
Last week I made the conscious decision not to write about the Epstein atrocity, although I did briefly comment on the fact that we all should be sufficiently appalled to verbalize our disgust. That said, this week became a whole different ball game.
If you are one of the few conservative readers of my articles, you may find yourself in disbelief of what I am about to say.
You certainly know that I have absolutely no time or respect for No. 47. My refusal to utter his name is sufficient proof. That said, I chose to take the position of “innocent until proven guilty.” By that I meant his guilt in “actively” helping his best friend traffic underage girls for the purpose of sex.
Did I think he may have turned a blind eye? Yes. After all, the braggadocio of where to “grab them” as well as the conviction of rape charges, the disgusting comment regarding dating his own daughter (what father says that?) all point to a total lack of morality. But even I was willing to think, “does he really sanction pedophilia?”
I will get to my realization later, but first I want to take a good hard look at the Epstein travesty and delve into the many ways this tears away the veil of cover up by and for 47. This is not a digression but rather a straight path into what can only be called a cesspool!
Reams of documentation have come to light since the Epstein affair resurfaced a few weeks ago. In my research, I found that the files are estimated to be 300 gigabytes of data, paper, audio and video. The question of what is in those files, and whether or not they will ever become public, remains to be seen.
Pam Bondi initially said the DOJ would release case documents. Having a change of mind (no reason given), the Justice Department is now trying to tamp down the public outcry from some of Trump’s ardent supporters along with some Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill who believe the administration has fallen short of its transparency pledge. Really?
Epstein’s death by suicide, which many don’t believe, if for no other reason than the missing video of his cell for the few moments preceding the discovery of his body, launched conspiracy theories and deprived many of his accusers a public airing of his conduct.
Ghislaine Maxwell, his partner and fellow pedophile, was later convicted of sex trafficking minors following a four-week trial in 2021. And now there is this.
On July 8, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche initially reported that the DOJ had done an extensive review and had determined “no evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.”
Fast forward to the end of July when Blanche met with Maxwell at her prison, a highly questionable act. He stated, “If Ghislaine Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say.”
And the icing on the cake? Maxwell has now been moved to a minimum security “camp.” But according to the bureau’s designation policy, Maxwell appears ineligible to be housed at a minimum-security prison camp because she is a convicted sex offender.
White House response? Crickets.
But back to my realization that, sadly, pedophilia isn’t a game changer for the person who occupies the United States presidency. My revelation to that came with his appointment of former New York Giants football star Lawrence Taylor. This past Friday, 47 invited him to the White House, stood beside this convicted sex offender and gushed, “there’s nobody like him.” He even handed him the microphone to speak.
Let me put this into very clear language. In 2010, Lawrence Taylor was convicted of rape and prostitution, having sex with a 16-year-old girl, thus putting him on file as a sex offender. His sentence was six years probation. In 2021 he failed to report a change of address as required, and was charged accordingly. Again in 2024, the same charge was made.
Either the president is so inherently stupid to appoint this man, or he doesn’t give a damn, and will blatantly dismiss any form of subtlety, which, in my mind, certainly underscores his own position on the subject.
So much for ‘innocent till proven guilty.’
Make no mistake. This is a multi-layered scandal, plain and simple, and it remains to be seen just how the Democrats will handle it. Those of us who believe that no one is above the law lean toward picking up the ball and running with it toward the goalposts as fast as we can run.
Will there be tackles? You betcha,’ to quote a famous Republican. What we need to avoid at all costs, however, is an interception.
One layer of this scandal is that of Republican protection of the elite at all costs. While this is a topic that requires an in-depth microscopic view, and more verbiage than is permitted here, it remains important. Note that I didn’t say MAGA protection because, amazingly, this seems to be emerging as the proverbial straw for them. Might I add that I also see it as the crux of 47’s conundrum.
Savvy Democrats get this, and my advice, for what little it may be worth, is take this public fascination with Epstein as well as the administration’s fumbling of the ball, and run like hell!
As for those who continue to grovel at the feet of what I now accept as a supporter of pedophilia, I might suggest taking to heart a Sir Walter Scott quote:
“Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!”
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.”
