There are likely as many reasons for decent human beings to detest dirty Don Trump as there are stars in the observable universe – possibly more so. It is almost certain that patriotic Americans despise Trump because he has openly incited rebellion against legally-elected state officials.
Now, as if his deliberate divisiveness is not enough of a reason to loathe a malicious narcissist sitting in a place he clearly does not belong, Trump is purposely sowing division among Americans and inciting opposition to lawfully elected public officials – all because they fail to worship and obey him as a god sent to rule America.
At this point it is folly to think the current leader of the Executive branch will ever attempt to bring the nation together. Instead, Trump has used his massively loud voice to incite his combatant acolytes and religious cult members to rebel against state officials as part of his reelection campaign. And as has been the case since Trump’s poorly-attended inauguration, he broke the law and is guilty of sedition and everything related to that treasonous crime.
It is noteworthy that the leader of the federal government inciting rebellion to “liberate” disaffected malcontents from lawful state governments should be considered an attempt to foment a civil war. Those Trump minions protesting with Confederate flags and assault weapons certainly support the idea that Trump is provoking a civil war.
Last week when Trump used his favorite platform to incite his cult-followers to rebel against three states’ leaders, he was breaking the law against sedition; all because those states’ Democratic governors issued orders to save lives.
In its most basic form, sedition is:
“Incitement of resistance to, or insurrection against, lawful authority.” And, sedition is an honest-to-dog Federal crime not reserved for promoting resistance or insurrection against the Federal government of the United States.
According to 18 U.S. Code Part 1, Chapter 15, under TREASON, SEDITION, AND SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES – §2385 Advocating overthrow of Government reads:
“Whoever knowingly or willfully advocates, abets, advises, or teaches the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States or the government of any State … Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction.” (author bold)
And just in case Trump’s personal campaign network, Fox News, believes it is exempt from federal prosecution for seditious conspiracy, § 2385 also states:
“If two or more persons conspire to commit any offense named in this section, each shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.” (author bold)
Some observers believe that Trump called on his dirty rebels to set themselves free (liberate) from lawfully-elected Democratic governors after observing images of angry, gun-toting, Confederate flag-waving, MAGA hat-wearing fanatics on Fox News. It is also quite likely that Trump learned that Ammon Bundy summoned gun-toting insurgents in Idaho to participate in his “Liberty Rebellion” to defy Republican Governor Brad Little’s stay at home orders.
Bundy called the public safety rules “martial law” and stated that his goal was gathering supporters to prevent state officials from enforcing the governor’s order. In fact, Bundy said that his insurgent group would go to great lengths to “physically stop the bad actors” attempting to enforce the governor’s orders. Bundy claims those orders violate his group’s 1st Amendment rights to assemble and practice religion. Bundy also asserted that his liberty rebellion entails fierce opposition with firearms if necessary. He said:
“When someone’s rights are being violated for whatever reason … then thousands of people come and bring tremendous accountability to the bad actors. The First Amendment is secured by the Second Amendment. The last time it was illegal to meet together as a people on this land was before the Revolutionary War. Since we won our independence, it has never been illegal to assemble as a people.”
There is little doubt in this author’s mind that Trump cited the Second Amendment being under siege in Virginia to inspire Bundy types to use Second Amendment remedies against legally elected Democrats in Virginia and other states with Democratic governors.
As an aside, it is remarkable that what Trump and gun-fanatics consider attacks on the Second Amendment in Virginia entail prohibiting guns in day care centers, public buildings like courthouses and schools, or “enduring tyranny” in the form of background checks prior to buying more guns. Trump knew that all he had to do to “incite resistance to, or insurrection against, lawful authority” was inform his acolytes that sane gun safety regulations are tyrannical oppression and require action to “liberate” the gun maniacs from lawfully elected authorities.
Trump knew when he called on his rebellious stooges to “free themselves from Democratic oppression” (LIBERATE) that it was illegal according to a preeminent constitutional scholar, Mary McCord. Ms. McCord wrote in a Washington Post Op-Ed Subtitled “Federal law bans advocating the overthrow of government” that:
”President Trump incited insurrection Friday against the duly elected governors of the states of Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia. Just a day after issuing guidance for re-opening America that clearly deferred decision-making to state officials — as it must under our Constitutional order — the president [Trump] undercut his own guidance by calling for criminal acts against the governors for not opening fast enough.
‘Liberate’ — particularly when it’s declared by the chief executive of our republic — isn’t some sort of cheeky throwaway. Its definition is ‘to set at liberty,’ specifically ‘to free (something, such as a country) from domination by a foreign power.’ We historically associate it with the armed defeat of hostile forces during war, such as the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control during World War II. Just over a year ago, Trump himself announced that ‘the United States has liberated all ISIS-controlled territory in Syria and Iraq.’
In that context, it’s not at all unreasonable to consider Trump’s tweets about “liberation” as at least tacit encouragement to citizens to take up arms against duly elected state officials of the party opposite his own, in response to sometimes unpopular but legally issued stay-at-home orders.” (author bold)
It is no coincidence that Trump exempted states with Republican governors from his “call for liberation” regarding sane, public health orders. It also is no coincidence that he cited Virginia’s Democratic legislature and Governor as attacking the Second Amendment – a veritable call for armed rebellion to a segment of America that desperately wants to engage in civil war.
Only a moron would argue that Trump’s tweets telling his disgruntled minions to liberate themselves from the lawfully elected public officials was not an act of sedition. Just use of the word “liberate” denotes “freeing oneself from oppression.” Never mind that Trump was inciting his sycophants to rebel against public officials, it was his implication that those lawful officials were oppressive tyrants, and not legally elected public servants attempting to save American lives.
No American believes any Republican will ever call Trump to account for sedition any more than depose him for criminally negligent homicide against tens-of-thousands of innocent Americans. That opposition to holding Trump accountable for violating Federal laws is not simply dereliction of duty to America and the Constitution, it makes Republicans criminal conspirators and guilty of “misprision of a felony.”
Trump is guilty of several crimes, and as such, he is by definition a criminal. One does not have to be charged or convicted of a crime to be labeled a criminal, they just have to commit a crime. Now it is clear, according to 18 U.S. Code § 2385, that the crime of sedition can be added to Trump’s growing rap sheet.
One must comment that despite clear knowledge of Trump’s ongoing crime spree, Republicans are complicit simply by continuing to support a corrupt, criminally malicious narcissist who should be sitting in a Federal prison cell, not the Oval Office.
Born in the South, raised in the Mid-West and California for a well-rounded view of America; it doesn't look good.
Former minister, lifelong musician, Mahayana Zen-Buddhist.
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