Trump Completes Violating the Five Pillars of Freedom in the First Amendment
Commentators on the Eagles and Trump haven’t emphasized the fact that they are the Philadelphia Eagles. Philadelphia was the center of the American Revolution and of the US Constitution. Everybody in Philadelphia is surrounded by this noble heritage. We also know that Pennsylvania, combined with the other “rust belt” states of Michigan and Wisconsin to narrowly put Trump over the hump to win the electoral vote. Trump sorely wanted a photo op that made him appear to be respected by Philadelphia’s beloved Super Bowl Champions, the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Constitution was written and signed at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 in Philadelpia’s Independence Hall. By intention, the very FIRST Amendment was a declaration of our inalienable rights or freedoms. The First Amendment reads: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble; and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
We know that Trump daily attacks the freedom of speech and of the press. His Muslim denigrations and banning of immigrants from seven Muslim countries violates the freedom of religion. Trump took down the petitions on the White House web site that President Obama had established, in this Internet age. Now, Trump has taken off on a revenge trip against those who choose not to assemble in a patently obvious Trump campaign event, rather than a national event honoring a championship team. The chosen date, today, is that of the largest set of midterm primaries.
Trump’s revenge started by cancelling he event when it appeared there would be a low turnout, Trump then slandered the Eagles by claiming that they were disrespecting the National Anthem, as they had during the season. As usual, Trump didn’t check with the facts, since no Eagle had ever knelt during the Anthem. It turns out that Trump’s fact source, Fox News, had shown pictures of some Eagles kneeling. But it later turned out that the players were PRAYING!
What the kneelers were protesting was the abuse and unequal treatment of blacks by local police in many cities. The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees that no State will “deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” Jeff Session’s Justice Department ended programs to train local police in non-discriminatory policing. Trump has suggested that protestors be deported. The first part of the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits this: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law;”
The third revenge, was Trump’s claiming that the fans would punish the Eagles for not showing up at the White House to honor the Office of the President, rather than Trump, who would be in the center of the picture. That is a clear effort to put a restraint on free speech for any players who want to use kneeling to protest. My guess is that NFL fans are not going to fall for this fake spike play.
As long as we are in Philadelphia, we note that Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag in her House, which is preserved four blocks from Independence Hall. Unique among flags, we have stars for each state in the Republic. These symbolize States Rights. The thirteen stripes are for the original States brought together under the Constitution. The Pledge of Allegiance ends: “with liberty and justice for all”, just what the protests were about.
How do the Fates lead Trump to violate all Five Freedoms? Just total ignorance of, and disrespect for, the Constitution.
