Examples reflect ways ‘emergencies’ can spread

Make no mistake: If President Trump succeeds in imposing his state of emergency to build a border wall, it will only be the beginning. An emboldened President Trump will soon be hatching plans for new emergency declarations. I can almost hear his speeches announcing the next ones:

“Since my election, I have been denouncing the Fake News Media as the Enemy of the People. They have not listened to my warnings. On the contrary, they have only gotten worse, to the point that a national emergency has arisen. I am therefore invoking presidential emergency powers, effective immediately, to shut down the New York Times, the Washington Post and CNN. As we speak, federal troops are barricading the offices of those Fake News organizations. I am also establishing a Federal Truth Commission, to assist the remaining media organizations in avoiding fake news. Let them be aware that they can be shut down, too.”

Or:

“Every year, thousands of unborn children are murdered by those who should be nurturing and protecting them. If this is not an emergency, I don’t know what is. I am therefore invoking presidential emergency powers to stop this slaughter of innocents. As we speak, federal troops are shutting down all abortion clinics in the United States.”

The well-intentioned National Emergencies Act of 1976 has been shown to be badly flawed. As originally written, the act allowed a state of emergency to be terminated by a veto-proof joint resolution of Congress. The Supreme Court ruled that such a resolution could in fact be vetoed by the president, which is likely to happen in the present case. A new act is needed, which should specify that emergencies are appropriate only when Congress cannot act in time, and that emergencies should automatically end after 30 days, unless affirmed by Congress.

Make no mistake: The current Act allows a president to assume dictatorial powers, just by declaring an emergency, and this president shows no disinclination to assume them. Democracy is in danger. All too many dictators have come to power by getting elected legitimately and then invoking an emergency to expand their powers.

Conservatives face a dilemma: Support democracy — a foundation of conservatism — by opposing the president, or let him pursue conservative goals by dictatorial means. May God guide our country to choose the former. JACOB ADLER

Fayetteville