Time for thoughtful deliberation

Thought for the day

What is happening to our beloved country?  I've asked this question several times since the Watergate scandal.  Back then, I was in my early 20s.  Today, I'm a 70-something grandfather of two little ones.  To say I am worried about the country they eventually will inherit is an understatement.

This morning I awoke to three very troubling headlines:  First, "Trump warns of 'potential death and destruction' if he's indicted."   Second, "Greene calls for Bragg's arrest for 'prosecutorial misconduct' in Trump case."  And last, "Former AG Barr defends Fox News in op-ed about Dominion lawsuit."  If you ask me, each headline is cringe-worthy.  Lumped together, I believe all three spell d-i-s-a-s-t-e-r.

Make no mistake about it, I support freedom of speech 110 percent.  Like voting, it is a lynch pin of American democracy.  So is the rule of law.  Donald Trump and Marjorie Taylor Greene have a right to express themselves; still, I submit their unprecedented attacks on Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg -- before his office has made a decision to indict or not -- are worse than yelling "fire" in a theatre (which courts have ruled is not protected speech by the First Amendment).   

And Bill Barr?  It looks like he's decided Fox News has a right to knowingly broadcast lies to the public.  Isn't that what Infowars' host Alex Jones did about the Sandy Hook massacre?  Ironically, Dominion is seeking over $1 billion in damages against Fox, the same amount Jones has been ordered to pay the Sandy Hook families by two court decisions.

If ever there was a time for thoughtful deliberation, this is it.  If you ask me, nothing less than the future of our country depends on it.

-DF