August 2017 letter to Senators and Representative
Dear Senators Murray and Cantwell and Representative Heck,
President Trump’s pardoning of Joe Arpaio makes it clear that he has no respect for the rule of law, or for basic human rights for immigrants. It is the first step down a path that will have him using his broad pardoning power to disrupt and defang the current FBI investigation into Russian influence in his 2016 campaign, and any possible future investigation against him.
It’s well past time to stop treating Donald Trump like a president from an opposing party; it’s time to treat him like the wannabe autocrat he has made abundantly clear he wishes to be. The rule of law is supposed to constrain the weak and the powerful alike; right now, the representatives of the people of the United States need to constrain the most powerful person on the planet, before it becomes impossible to do so.
Specifically, the House and Senate should censure President Trump for his comments regarding the Charlottesville tragedy. They should ask him to publicly pledge to respect and cooperate with the FBI investigation. As my representative, you should both vocally oppose his immoral and illegal actions, and do what you can to convince his supporters, and those on the fence, that those actions will hurt them and the country we all love. Only the American people as a whole can bring a President to heel, and to do that they need leaders to organize, encourage, and support them.
Finally, do not fall into the trap of being defined by opposition. Opposing President Trump’s racism and contempt for the law must go hand in hand with supporting a positive vision of the United States — one in which humane and sane immigration policies aid the economy without hurting US workers, in which the President works to reduce the risk of nuclear war, in which federal agencies have the authority and resources to do their jobs, and in which they and the Administration are held accountable by transparency and a fair and impartial judiciary.
That is a United States worth fighting for.