Not Easily Dispelled

Differences of Opinion on Word Usage

February 1, 2017


Lately there have been differences of opinion on the use of certain words. In this post, I highlight three.

Ban

First he called it a ban. Then he said it wasn’t a ban. Now he says this:

Okay, I’ll call it a ban. And it’s not keeping “bad” people out. It’s keeping Muslims out. And it is causing more than “inconveniences”. It is disrupting lives. Some of the personal stories I’ve read are heartbreaking and frustrating.

Unconstitutional

A lot of people have been arguing that Trump’s executive order is unconstitutional (e.g., Senator Warren). A lot of other people have been arguing the use of “unconstitutional” is overused. One guy being interviewed on CNN (some senator I believe) said the Constitution is really complicated and people like Warren and Sally Yates shouldn’t rush into interpretation. He referred to the First Amendment stated here:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

He carefully pointed out the “Congress shall make no law” part. So the First Amendment only applies to Congress. It doesn’t apply to the President. He really said that. I’ve got to ramp up my journalistic skills by including the actual source. I’ll work on it.

Regardless of whether or not it is constitutional, I agree with Madeleine Albright on this one: “The order represents a stark departure from core American values.”

 

Betrayal

Here’s what Sally Yates said about her responsibilities as Attorney General and the executive order: 

My responsibility is to ensure that the position of the Department of Justice is not only legally defensible, but is informed by our best view of what the law is after consideration of all the facts. In addition, I am responsible for ensuring that the positions we take in court remain consistent with this institution’s solemn obligation to always seek justice and stand for what is right. At present, I am not convinced that the defense of the Executive Order is consistent with these responsibilities nor am I convinced that the Executive Order is lawful.

Here’s what the Office of the Press Secretary had to say about that.  “The acting Attorney General, Sally Yates, has betrayed the Department of Justice.” 

Here’s how Merriam-Webster defines it:  Betrayal is the noun that came from the verb betray, which has several meanings, including “to deliver to an enemy by treachery,” “to fail or desert especially in time of need,” “to reveal unintentionally,” and “to disclose in violation of confidence.”

So Trump fired her.  Now, the AG heads up the DOJ but is part of the executive branch. So he was within his rights to fire  her. However, I’m a little nervous about our system of checks and balances. And about Trump’s thin skin.

And by the way, Sessions (the presumptive AG) asked Yates about being willing to defy the President in 2015.

 

I’ve nominated Sally Yates for the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. You can too. 

I’ll leave you with two quotes to ponder:

“It is time [Democrats] get over the fact that they lost the election. None of this is going to lead to a different outcome.” – Mitch McConnell

“We have a responsibility to American people to find common ground. When we can’t we will stand our ground.” – Nancy Pelosi

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