Mueller’s work shows the power of the people
There you go again, Post-Gazette. The paper gets it exactly backward in its lukewarm editorial (Aug. 24, “Let the People Decide”) apologizing for the political and moral transgressions of President Donald J. Trump.
Not only does the lengthy screed conveniently ignore the serious mistakes, lies and dangerous policies of the president and his largely incompetent or corrupt assistants. It also couldn’t be more wrong in its description of a special prosecutor’s possible delivery of an indictment against a sitting president as the behavior of a “banana republic.” The leader of such a country wouldn’t tolerate an indictment. He would fire the special prosecutor who produced it and any Justice Department officials who might resist and then appoint officials and judges more supportive of his authoritarian urges.
Let’s be really honest. Robert Mueller’s investigation is not about “squeezing, delegitimizing, and, if possible, ultimately removing” Donald Trump. Instead, it is the expression of a still robust democracy, dedicated to rule of law and devoted to the concept that no person — not even the president — is above that law.
Further, the paper misrepresents the special investigation’s process as “negating an election.” The “people” are still very much involved. As provided by the Constitution, if the investigation results in charges against a sitting president, it will be up to the people’s Congress to ratify that indictment and mount a prosecution. One hopes this misrepresentation is merely lazy writing and not a sorry attempt to mimic the president’s continual propagandistic barrage against the special investigation.
By the way, the phrase, “banana republic,” is at best a reflexive and outdated cliche and, at worst, a racist and historically tone-deaf description of countries struggling to overcome centuries of colonial oppression, more than a few at the hands of the United States. GEOF BECKER
Oakland
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loves the country as much as we do?”
No, Mr. Burris, it is not. Please remove your blinders and see the stark truth about this man. His guiding passion is self-aggrandizement. It seems that’s the only lens through which he views people and events. What’s love got to do with that? EILEEN COLIANNI
Oakmont
Regarding the Aug. 19 article “Priest: Catholics ‘ Moving Beyond Anger Into Rage,’” which includes quotes from the All Saints Parish, Etna, bulletin by the Rev. James Gretz that are reflective of the self-focus and immaturity of the Catholic hierarchy in dealing with the clergy sex-abuse scandal:
The Rev. Gretz states the following: “So the Grand Jury saga continues. Why do we have to keep hearing about this horrific chapter in our history?” To paraphrase, the Rev. Gretz further states that we need to be able to reconcile and not do it again and not suffer any longer with guilt or hurt; we need to heal because that’s the only way this will come to an end. Then he has the audacity to ask, “Can we talk about something fun instead?”
Isn’t that how the leaders of the church handled the abuse? Change the subject, quiet the victims, make secret agreements, move the criminals onto other victims, save the church image and its resources and, above all, protect itself? How can the victims who have suffered for decades change the subject and talk about something fun when this has ruined their entire lives?
With such immaturity, how can clergy like the Rev. Gretz and the church deal with these egotistical philosophies and grow into more compassionate and caring priests and be less concerned about how the crisis affects their reputations? Why didn’t all the good and holy priests band together to report all they knew about the abuse and take it to criminal authorities instead of to their superiors, who worried more about the institution and its resources? May God bless the victims. MARY ANN VALLUS
Munhall