Gowdy: When our fellow citizens think we have a two-track justice system, either for the famous or the not famous, or the rich or the poor, we're in trouble as a Republic."
A disturbing number of senior officials in several U.S. Federal Government Departments and Agencies seem to have forgotten--if they ever knew--the story behind the words "liberty and justice for all".
Once upon a time, not all that long ago, students in their first year in public schools began the day by standing to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, ending with the words "...with liberty and justice for all".
Sholem Aleichem (1859-1916, born Solomon Naumovich Rabinovichm, in Pereyaslav, Russian Empire--now Ukraine) was a Yiddish author and playwright. The musical "Fiddler on the Roof" is based on one of his stories. As recalled here, another of his stories went like this: There was a poor Ukrainian village with a rabbi who would, when someone was ill, go to a special place in the country and, standing alone, say a special prayer for the sick. And the prayer would soon be answered. Overtime, a new rabbi came to the village, and when someone was sick, he, too, would go to that same special place, but he would stand silently, for he did not know the words of the prayer. Yet, his prayers, too, would be answered. Years later, another rabbi came to the village, and when sickness came, he knew neither the place to go, nor the prayer to recite. But he did know the story, and in remembering the story, his prayers were answered.
The original version of the Pledge, written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, read: "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
The words, "with liberty and justice for all," recited by America's Kindergarten students, instilled a credo, a core of the nation's cultural values, into those who would, as adults, inherit the responsibility for living out the pledge made when they were children.
Those words carried special meaning to those who lived through the Great Depression, and the Second World War. The words, "liberty and justice for all," while not yet a fully-accomplished promise, were taken seriously by the parents of the Baby Boomers, and many of those parents taught their children to do likewise.
Today, though, more than a few Americans question whether senior officials in several key U.S. Federal Government Departments and Agencies remember--if they ever knew--the national story behind the words "liberty and justice for all". Did their parents not teach them?
The observation below is prompted by an August 30, 2019 interview on the FOX NEWS channel as former Congressman Jason Chaffetz, filling in for Sean Hannity, discussed the recent DoJ Inspector General's report concerning former FBI Director James Comey.
Gowdy: History will hold James Comey accountable
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After a brief, verbal man-hug about how much they loved serving with each other in Congress, Chaffetz teed up Republican Trey Gowdy for a response by noting that James Comey was not charged for leaking. The I.G. merely reprimanded Comey for offering a "dangerous example" for FBI employees. Chaffetz wondered if justice is being done, since another person leaking such information would likely be in handcuffs.
Gowdy's response was ambivalent. Here was the exchange (bolding added for emphasis).
(Video at 3:03) Chaffetz: "Is lady justice being fair and right here (in Comey not going to jail) and is he being held accountable here?"
Gowdy: "Well, Jason, I'm very sensitive to that. When our fellow citizens think we have a two-track justice system, either for the famous or the not famous, or the rich or the poor, we're in trouble as a Republic. I would tell my fellow citizens this: We have to have other ways of meting out accountability other than simply indictments.You know, Hillary Clinton was never indicted. She was never charged; therefore, never guilty of a crime, but yet the American jury in 2016 meted out a consequence.Jim Comey, whether he likes it or not, all of his past in the Southern District of New York, all of his past at main justice, all of his time as FBI Director, some of which I agreed with--all of that will be forgotten.
God in history will be all of our judges, but they will judge Jim Comey based on the fact that he got dinged on both of the major investigations he was handling in 2016 by the Inspector General. That will be the accountability, that's what history will remember about Jim Comey." (ends at 4:08)
Gowdy, although no longer a Republican Congressman, represents the mindset of Republicans who, like Karl Rove and Mitt Romney, think the best resolution to bring justice to the conspirators behind the three-year Trump-Russia Collusion fraud is to let history be the judge.
But history is seldom impartial. It's usually written by the winners of a conflict. And it can take decades for the true winners to surface.
Plus, history is no dispenser of justice. It's commentary on the past. It can not always be trusted to be fair, complete, or accurate. We study history from a variety of angles, and determine for ourselves what likely happened. And, if we weren't there, that's the best we can do.
Gowdy's most accurate statement has nothing to do with history, and everything to do with current reality.
"When our fellow citizens think we have a two-track justice system, either for the famous or the not famous, or the rich or the poor, we're in trouble as a Republic."
Mr. Gowdy, that "When" of which you speak, sir, is now.
Lee Cary——Bio and Archives
Since November 2007, Lee Cary has written hundreds of articles for several websites including the American Thinker, and Breitbart’s Big Journalism and Big Government (as “Archy Cary”). and the Canada Free Press. Cary’s work was quoted on national television (Sean Hannity) and on nationally syndicated radio (Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin). His articles have posted on the aggregate sites Drudge Report, Whatfinger, Lucianne, Free Republic, and Real Clear Politics. He holds a Doctorate in Theology from Garrett Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL, is a veteran of the US Army Military Intelligence in Vietnam assigned to the [strong]Phoenix Program[/strong]. He lives in Texas.
A disturbing number of senior officials in several U.S. Federal Government Departments and Agencies seem to have forgotten--if they ever knew--the story behind the words "liberty and justice for all".
Once upon a time, not all that long ago, students in their first year in public schools began the day by standing to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, ending with the words "...with liberty and justice for all".
