WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE?
Is it "Self-evident" that all are equal? Does power, wealth, and status place some inherently above all others?
In 1969, I sneaked into my college-aged sister’s bedroom…again. I don’t know where she was, but as all little brothers know, when your sister is away, all of her stuff is fair game to explore, purloin, and more often than not, destroy. I was 9, and despite being an intelligent young woman 15 years my senior, my sis had not yet learned the prudent security of a lock on her bedroom door.
My mission that day was to enjoy her hip record collection in Stereo, on her super-cool hi-fi setup. A turntable and two laughably cheap speakers. It was pink, but it would be perfect to explore the magic contained in the black vinyl discs on her shelf. Because of my sister’s excellent musical taste, I was starting to develop a pretty good knowledge of the fertile landscape of late-60’s rock and roll. Today, I was going to find out just what was behind the crazy graphics on the cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
The Beatles were already a huge part of my musical education. My sister took me to the theatre for the first time when I was 4 to see “A Hard Day’s Night’, so by the time I dropped the needle on their masterpiece, I knew the words to many Beatles classics. As I went through the elaborate packaging of the LP, (Kids, back then, the albums often came with all kinds of neat goodies, from posters to extensive notes and lyrics, and if I remember correctly, Sgt. Pepper’s had some cool dress-up cut-outs like badges and mustaches), I stopped on side two where the song “When I’m 64” came on. I vividly remember thinking, ‘64? Man, that must be just before you die.” The lyrics didn’t help. Pleading with a loved one to still need and love you as you reached such an advanced age made a life-long impression on me.
That is a very long lead-up to say that I have just hit the 64-year milestone. I find myself extremely wealthy; not financially, but in the respect that I love and am loved by friends and family; blessed with mostly stout health and energy; and still with a curious and hungry mind and imagination. I am always grateful for these rare gifts.
So, it’s a good time to examine where I am in life and think about the most important things to me in this journey. In the 1950’s there was a series of essays called “This I Believe” where a varied group of people famous and average, wrote down their touchstones of what was important to them. After reading these, I began to wonder not only what I firmly believed after my 64-year journey, but whether each of us would have the capability to articulate these things.
One of my core beliefs was somewhat shaken last week. The Supreme Court’s misguided and gutless decision to allow immunity to the executive branch for most ‘official’ acts during a presidential term could endow a single person with unlimited power to absolutely end the experiment of the American Republic.
In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor sounded the alarm by pointing out the unhinged possibilities implied by the ruling. I urge you to read her dissent, and the decision yourself. Technically, the Court is claiming that they cannot define what ‘official’ acts are, and that lower courts should decide if any of the acts that are claimed in civil or criminal questions regarding the Executive branch are official or not.
This is ridiculous. Our founding documents specifically lay out the concept that we are ruled by a system of laws, superseding any decision by a single person or agency that circumvents such laws or self-evident truths such as ‘All men are created equal’. I know that we as a nation have not lived up to this ideal on many occasions. The glory of the Founder’s vision was that even when mistakes were made, usually there were checks and balances to address them. The Court has suggested that these safeguards should not apply.
There are many scenarios in which the Court’s ‘immunity’ theory could be applied. Officially, the President can order the Justice Department to arrest any person (journalists, Dr. Fauci, Sean Hannity, Taylor Swift, YOU) that he or she decides is ‘worthy’ of being arrested or investigated. Now, there are laws in place that should prevent such things, and for 248 years, even the worst leaders were restrained by the possibility of being held accountable. Allowing ‘official acts’ to be debated and assumed to be immune, would allow for things like, I don’t know, say, certain groups to be rounded up, kept in camps, deported, or even not allowed to hold property or live together as families. Millions have lost their lives due to ‘official acts’. This is exactly what has happened over and over again throughout history. It CAN happen here.
So, this is some of what I believe. Every person has certain rights that exist everywhere on Earth. No one person has the right to take those certain rights away. Either we all matter, or nobody matters. Religion, wealth, social status, or perceived power should not place any single person or group above the law.
I hope that the American Idea can continue. Make no mistake, it is under attack no matter if you lean left or right. A far-left President would be just as immune as a MAGA President under the recent rulings. Nationalizing agriculture, anyone? This is beyond political grandstanding. It is an existential moment in American history.
When I was 9, I thought that 64 was probably as old as anyone could get. I am hopeful that I have many years left, but I am aware that every single step is not guaranteed. Time running out tends to focus the mind. As long as you have a voice, use it. I could not believe in anything more.