Yesterday; after listening to both Sarah Huckabee (reading Trump’s directive); and reading what Rand Paul had to say as he implored Trump to revoke the Security Clearances of previous (mostly, if not all), President Obama/Bush Intelligence Heads…for some reason I wanted to go back and read the original first Amendment Words of James Madison:
“…The civil rights of none shall be abridged on account of religious belief or worship, nor shall any national religion be established, nor shall the full and equal rights of conscience be in any manner, or on any pretext, infringed. The people shall not be deprived or abridged of their right to speak, to write, or to publish their sentiments; and the freedom of the press, as one of the great bulwarks of liberty, shall be inviolable. The people shall not be restrained from peaceably assembling and consulting for their common good; nor from applying to the Legislature by petitions, or remonstrances, for redress of their grievances…”
Let me make two things clear before I pose my questions to the Forum: 1) A security clearance is a PRIVILEGE not a RIGHT and 2) the Constitution (nor laws) protect us from the LAWFUL consequences of our words and actions.
To the Forum:
This latest move instigated by Paul and embraced by Trump smells more like Political Retribution than being security based.
Again; what is going on with Rand Paul? Is this consistent with his stands in the past; and is he merely trying to up his “Conservative Credentials” with the voters of Kentucky? (After being so critical of both candidate and President Trump in the past).
Even though it appears as though it’s well within Trump’s Powers to revoke or change anyone’s Security Clearance; as President; shouldn’t he doing more than adhering to the letter of the law, and at least show some sense of abiding by it’s spirit? (Yep…I’m being naive again…)
What say 'ye about these latest moves by the POTUS?
(Again…I fully realize that Security Clearances are a PRIVILEGE and not a RIGHT…and that most of these individuals will mostly do just fine without them…but it all stinks to High Heaven of Political Retribution because of the thin-skin of Trump…)
I’m not really following what revoking security clearance privileges has to do with the 1st? Or why you bolded peaceably assembling?
I think your first point is correct and I think Paul Ryan is correct. President Trump is just doing what he does best, running his mouth to piss half the country off and energize the other half.
I was thinking of the NFL Players as I read Madison’s original Words…again. @usmccds423…I was listening to Huckabee…and am just sharing with the Forum the first things that suddenly popped into this crazy head of mine…
Just the Free Exercise of Speech…the Power of Goverment…the kind of things that Conservatives would have been howling and having strokes about if President Obama had done the same…
(Ultimately there is only a tangential connection, @usmccds423…I fully recognize that and have tried to point it out…)
Leaving the First Amendment out of it; what do you think of Trump’s actions?
I wouldn’t say that. It’s silly behavior for a grown man, much less a President. "I’m taking away my toys! You can’t play with them anymore!’ Even if it’s bluffing/trolling, it is yet more evidence of a disposition unsuited for leading a nation.
Why the football players? That’s an odd thing to mix in with revoking security privileges.
They have the right under the 1st ammendment to do what they did. And to my knowledge none were arrested.
They did violate their NFL contracts which does dictate behavior during the anthem, but that’s between the NFL and the players.
The President has the right, under the 1st ammendment to criticize them as long he does not violate their right to say what they want.
It’s also the President’s right to fire any government employee without cause so long as not motivated by descrimination of protected classes.
So this is a case where we don’t like what he did, but he’s well within his right as a boss.
I tried to make that as clear (as mud?) as I could, right from the beginning, @pat…
In terms of the players…it was a peaceful protest being met with the fire and fury of the POTUS…it may be legal and well within his rights, pat…but it’s just not right…
(Maybe I just need to start letting “Trump be Trump”. It probably will be much better for my blood pressure…)
As Ben Shapiro pointed out a while ago, look at his actions more than his words or you will go nuts. Trump will always be Trump. He’s not an elegant speaker or presidential one bit but I’m not sure people care about that seeing how our last president was a phenomenal speaker but accomplished very little in office.
Trump use to drive me crazy but this is definitely the best route for sanity.
I don’t get why people are surprised by Rand Paul. He may appear like some enlightened genius relative to the swamp but he is still a mediocrity. American’s have really lost sight of what greatness is.
