Bob Edwards:  Don’t Even Think Abou’d It

Readers have no doubt noticed reports in numerous media that Americans are increasingly alarmed, concerned, disgusted, incensed and/or out-of-their-mind-outraged in their assessments of President Trump.  

From a blizzard of executive orders, to middle-of-the-night postings en route to the toilet, to firing thousands of federal employees in departments important to many Americans, he has missed no opportunity to offend large swaths of the population, both Red and Blue, here and elsewhere, with actions that have been described in ways no newspaper should have to describe.

Most concerning, however, is the fact that the popular outrage in some quarters is beginning to turn . . . ah . . . DARK.  To fans of ‘The Godfather,’ “Youse know what I’m talkin’ here?”  

As a result, your correspondent feels obliged to strongly discourage such sentiments, for reasons which should be obvious.

First, violence in the pursuit of political aims or principles is never the way to resolve differences that arise in a democracy, where everyone – no matter how despicable – has First Amendment Rights that must be respected if our nation is to remain a Light to the World. (Disputes in America are commonly resolved violently, but my editors said, for both legal and moral reasons, I had to write the above anyway.)

Second, Postal Service workers facing massive job cuts are already overwhelmed.  They do not need the tsunami of work involved with screening tons of hateful mail and packages being sent to: President Donald J. Trump, c/o The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC 20500.  (Return address not advised). 

Third, and most important, it should come as no surprise that it is a crime to threaten to kill, kidnap or inflict bodily harm on the President or those in the line of presidential succession. Here is an Actual Law, enacted by Congress as Title 18 U.S. Code Section 871:

Whoever knowingly and willfully deposits for conveyance in the mail or for a delivery from any post office or by any letter carrier any letter, paper, writing, print, missive, or document containing any threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States, the President-elect, the Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President of the United States, or the Vice President-elect, or knowingly and willfully otherwise makes any such threat against the President, President-elect, Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President, or Vice President-elect, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

BTW, successful assassins fare poorly. See: John Wilkes Booth, Leon Czolgosz, Charles Guiteau and Lee Harvey Oswald, the latter himself assasinated by one of  . . .  youse know . . . Vito’s people.

Bottom Line: DO NOT THREATEN – OR ATTEMPT – to kill, kidnap or inflict bodily harm on Our President.  Don’t even think about it within earshot of any person or device nearby. Those unsure of what constitutes a ‘threat’ should seek immediate legal counsel to help calm down. 

Finally, remember that in hellish times throughout history, Faith has provided comfort and support to many. Americans silently imploring a Loving And All-Powerful Higher Power to find it within His/Her/Their/Its Eternal Wisdom to Ordain that A Sudden Blessed Event Shall Soon Occur are simply exercising their First Amendment right of religious freedom.  

Youse know what I’m talkin’ here?