COVID struck our nation mercilessly in 2020. Thousands and thousands of people died and many more suffered immensely and, although recovered, continue to battle aftereffects today.
One of the greatest medical challenges this nation ever faced was made extraordinarily worse by the ignorance many people showed during the pandemic. The ultimate sin was the rejection of science in dealing with the appropriate response to stop COVID from spreading.
Today a new pandemic grips America that is deadly to democracy in this country and the rule of law. As in COVID, it is ignorance that is spreading this virus rapidly across America on the validity of Donald Trump’s indictments.
They do not understand that the criminal charges are not a witch hunt or a political vendetta against Trump. The indictments truly are to hold Trump accountable for criminal behavior.
Before I graduated high school we had a class called Civics. The course was intended to teach about the workings of our government, including why the Constitution and other laws are in place to protect our democracy.
Unfortunately, we have a large minority in this country who do not understand quite literally how our justice system works, why it is the most advanced system in the world, and the protection it provides for the people of the United States from those who would use lawless actions to obtain and hold power.
What we will see in the coming months is Trump and his lawyers twisting the truth and using ignorance about the law and what the amendments to the Constitution really mean. And they can accomplish that because many are benighted about concrete principles like the First Amendment or the law that you cannot threaten witnesses who will testify.
The added benefit for Trump is that as soon as he puts out a statement that is basically 1 + 1 = 3, those who are susceptible to the malady of ignorance will spread the misleading untruth to everyone around them. Unlike COVID, there is no mask to shield those who choose willful stupidity from this pandemic of lies.
Therefore, it is very important that Trump receive a fair trial under the law, and, if a jury of his peers convicts him, that he go to prison like any other American.
However, what is far more at stake is that the public, including Trump’s supporters, be given an antidote and understand how our legal system works and why no one man should never undermine this bedrock of our nation.
