Does Right Matter?

It is hard not to write about the impeachment of Donald John Trump, President of the United States. It is one of the most historical events in the history of the republic. Yet, too many are not listening, too many are divided on the issue and too many don’t care. However, we must care!

I have watched the first half of the Senate trial for hours. I keep switching the TV from CNN to Fox News to MSNBC and back to CSPAN. I’m a political junkie, always have been. I taught high-school Civics back when they did that, so the addiction is long, deep, and wide. We saw and heard the House Managers’ presentation and we must gird ourselves for the President's defense. Each side gets 24 hours to make their case.

There isn’t any dispute of the facts of the case, yet. The House Managers presented a marvelous civics lesson on the constitution’s impeachment clause, the Framers’ arguments for and against it, the meaning and power of its inclusion, and the actions that rise to its use. Law School classes on Constitutional Law will, for generations, read and study the presentation of the case; how it was formatted, how each action that constituted an infraction of our governing document was illustrated, and how the actions of the President were considered impeachable. No matter if you are '
Republican, Democrat or Independent, if you agree or not, Representative Schiff’s summation of the second day, was a tour-de-force. And the Senate listened.

At the end of the trial, after both sides present their case, after senators submit their questions, and perhaps after witnesses testify, the 100 senators will cast their vote, which will decide if a duly elected President of the United States should be removed from office for high crimes and misdemeanors.

Each Senator weighs the evidence; did wrongdoing occur. Each Senator will consider the reaction of their constituents; for many, a “wrong” vote could mean the loss of the next election. Each Senator will consider his or her duty to vote along party lines; for many that could mean the loss of committee assignments or lack of campaign funding. Each Senator will consider if the actions of the President rise to the level of removal from office; many don’t but for others there is no question. Each Senator will decide between right and wrong, between truth and lies. Each Senator will decide, for generations to come, the relationship between the Congress and the Executive branch of government. It is not an easy vote.

Franklin, famously, told us we have “A republic if you can keep it.” Can we? Alexander Hamilton wrote in Article 65 of the Federalist Papers that impeachment is for “those offenses which proceed from the misconduct of public men, or, in other words, from the abuse or violation of some public trust.” It is interesting that one must not have broken some law to be impeached.

Adam Schiff, who led the group of House Managers making the case for removing the President from office summarized the second day of presentations in what some called “a closing statement for the ages.” Even those who disagreed with him were rapt. He proffered that right matters. “If right doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter how good the Constitution is. It doesn’t matter how brilliant the Framers were. It doesn’t matter how good or bad our advocacy in this trial is. Doesn’t matter how well written the oath of impartiality is. If right doesn’t matter, we are lost. If the truth doesn’t matter we are lost!”

Does right matter? Yes, it does. Does truth matter? Yes, it does.

There are other arguments and other facts to consider. The President’s team now gets to defend him.

Democracy isn’t easy!