Republican Actions During and After the Ketanji Brown Hearings Cause Shame

Republican Actions During and After the Ketanji Brown Hearings Make Me Ashamed to be an American in the 21st Century. I believe that I have been a model citizen since I was old enough to understand what that meant, if just a little. In elementary school, my heartbeat was a little faster as we began our day by facing the American flag in the corner of the room and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. Later at larger school functions and at the beginning of my high school basketball games we were proud to sing the National Anthem.

My interest in politics began in 1956 as I watched a large portion of Dwight D. Eisenhower’s second convention. In 1960, as a freshman in high school, I wished I had been 21 years old and could have voted for John F. Kennedy. When he was assassinated in Dallas on November 22, 1963, I was a senior. My heart was broken. As a parting gift to our high school my graduating class gave a bust of JFK as our parting gift in 1964. I turned 21 in July of 1967. The first election in which I voted was in November of 1968. I had always known that I would be an Independent. I never found a use for political parties, and now, at nearly 76 years of age, I know I was wise to vote for the best candidates and not for a party.

I knew early in 1968 that I would support Robert Kennedy for the presidency. When he was murdered by Sirhan Sirhan on June 6, 1968 in Los Angeles, my heart was broken again. Two of the men I admired most had been murdered just months apart: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4th and Bobby Kennedy on June 6th.

I wasn’t a fan of Hubert Humphrey, and Richard Nixon continued to make me uncomfortable after his sometimes strange actions in the 1960 election. This was my first opportunity to vote, and I was confused.

I won’t tell you about my decision, although it might surprise you. I weighed the pros and cons and chose the man I believed was closest to my own beliefs and who would serve our country best. This is what a true Independent should do.

My voting record is not important other than the fact that I made mistakes during the last 54 years, but Republicans made it easy for me, beginning in 2000.

I won’t go into the details, but since that year I have been unable to vote for a Republican.

Moving ahead to 2016, and the greatest mistake in America’s history. Republicans were not required to allow Donald Trump to become their nominee. However, the truth is that when they did nominate him, and he was given the Electoral College with the assistance of Vladimir Putin, James Comey, and the mainstream media, I began to fear for my country. When his party abandoned its principles and surrendered its integrity in support of a man who served Putin and began to place fascist ideas into place, I knew that this once respected and loved country was near its end. As a true patriot, I was devastated.

I will move past the many Constitutional violations committed by Trump and his Fascist Party, including the treasonous actions on January 6, 2021, and discuss what is happening in 2022.

If I am honest, and my promise is to always fulfill my promise that “the truth lives here,” the 2020 election was not the result of an enthusiastic support for Joe Biden’s candidacy. It was a referendum. More than 81 million men and women voted to evict Trump from the White House. He is gone, but his party continues to support his vile and destructive agenda, based on efforts to allow white supremacists to take control of our nation, and replace democracy with fascism.

Which brings me to today and the likely confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as our latest Supreme Court justice.

Her confirmation hearings were a disgrace to our Democratic principles and a revelation that one entire political party is composed of racists and bigots.

Unable to discredit her, based on her record, Republicans switched to personal attacks, including the fact that she is a Black woman.

Although I have watched displays of racism numerous times in my 75 years, I have never seen such an open assault on a single individual as I did during Judge Jackson’s hearings. Ted Cruz, Marsha Blackburn, and other member of the Trump Party revealed their support of white supremacy in America. After the hearings, Moscow Mitch McConnell stated that he would oppose her confirmation and made every effort possible to encourage other Republicans to do the same.

Today’s fake Republicans like to use “name calling” and “labels” to discredit the actions of true Americans. They would call me “woke” because I learned the truth during my life and continue to cherish my principles, morals, and the desire to do the right thing.

I might educate the Trump Party and inform them that enlightenment is far superior to chosen ignorance. The truth is more valuable and more powerful than a million lies. And Democratic Socialism would offer our nation’s people a far better life than a fascist regime under Donald Trump.

Moscow Mitch committed a crime against the American people when he refused to hold hearings for Merrick Garland in 2016. He will commit an even greater sin if Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is not confirmed to the Supreme Court this week.

Op-ed by James Turnage

Sources:

NPR: 2 more Republicans say they’ll vote to confirm Jackson’s Supreme Court nomination; by Eric McDaniel and Kelsey Snell
MSNBC: Lindsey Graham’s vote on Ketanji Brown Jackson a depressing sign of the times; by Steve Vladeck

Featured and Top by Max Goldberg Image Courtesy of Wikimedia – Creative Commons License
Inset Image by Gage Skidmore Courtesy of Wikimedia – Creative Commons License