I'm revisiting this post after a couple days. In all the interviews, the round tables, and celebrity published statements talking about change going forward, why aren't we hearing about pushing for change to the Qualified Immunity law? People want and need to hear actionable items for real change not just platitudes. It seems that this would be one very big, important step on the road to actual, visible reform; and a logical umbrella to bring all sides together beneath....not just federal, but state governments. I did a search on the topic and the most recent articles were a week ago before the craziness errupted.
I have really enjoyed the logical, unbiased, informed, faith-based view of your emails. They have provided balance in this year that resembles a global version of the Old Testament.
For years the United States had leadership better than we deserved. I think that was true of Ford, Carter, Reagan, and Bush 41. But I still see the reasons I voted for neither Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton in 2016. If Donald Trump treats the people of the USA as he would his subordinates in a failing business, he will take the Republican Party with him to the grave, and maybe the country too. As Christians we know that we do not deserve better, and we are blessed to have our citizenship in heaven. Saying "our citizenship is in heaven" can be a cop-out in the political realm, but eventually we have to "let God be God." We hope that Mr. Trump's good policies will outweigh his personal shortcomings, when people go to the polls, but we cannot guarantee that, nor can we guarantee that he will not become a vengeful old man.
looks like someone had sense enough to not let him give this speech. Made for TV moment. ridiculous. Show of strength. FOH. Trump ordered the troops to push the crowd back. Martial Law forthcoming.
Wow...this is an incredibly tone deaf response. I subscribed just to comment. For Trump to try to draw an equivalence between how he has been treated to how George Floyd and other minorities are treated by the systemically racist justice system. Unbelievable. Now he has the police and military making a show of force in DC against a crowd of protesters that did nothing to provoke them. Shameful.
Good for a movie. Each one of the paragraphs in the speech will interpreted differently by the press. They will listen carefully say RED if he says green. What do you do then??
There is only one issue till today. How did Trump win in 2016. They cannot get over it. If he wins again there will be an India investigation or some other made up stuff.
I agree and disagree. I think for Trump to on any level make himself part of the speech would be disastrous. A complete and utter failure. To compare his experience with Floyd would set off EVERYONE in a way that will probably lead to even worse rioting. Trump's struggles don't in any way make him on the par with what African-Americans have to see happening regularly. Not saying it's not a miscarriage of justice, just that it's tone deaf. For once, Trump should make it completely and totally about something besides himself. I am in complete agreement with the "solutions" given. except perhaps not as "carte blanche" as completely getting rid of qualified immunity.
Great speech Erick. The part about qualified immunity is questionable as depending on implementation it could create a huge hole for frivolous lawsuits, just as the Mueller investigation created the ability for taxpayer funded partisan attorneys to persecute Trump's administration and bankrupt officials with high legal bills. As long as courts have the ability to make laws say what judges want them to say, there is no way to prevent them from making bad rulings, as the Supreme Court invented the right to qualified immunity in 1967, and invented the right to abortion in Roe, and invented to right of the government to force people to buy health insurance with Obamacare. The problem is the courts in the last half century have assumed the power to write laws instead of simply voiding laws based that violate constitutional protections.
To stop riots, you might want to add that rich backers of Antifa violence be subject to RICO prosecution, as clearly they are backing organized crime. There is no constitutional right to vigilante violence, whether the perpetrators are Antifa, BLM, or some White Supremacist group. Stop the violence and let peaceful protesters protest.
Good thoughts. I don't know much about qualified immunity, so read up on it. Is there a balanced way to approach it that would protect the good cops while allowing the space for bad cops to be dealt with?
I think Congress could find the right compromise. Right now it is really broad. Basically, no law enforcement personnel can be sued personally for misconduct unless someone else has done the exact same thing previously and it was ruled to have crossed the line.
Makes sense. By the way...I just subscribed to your substack a few days ago, but have followed you from many years past at Redstate. Thanks for all you do!
Erick,
I'm revisiting this post after a couple days. In all the interviews, the round tables, and celebrity published statements talking about change going forward, why aren't we hearing about pushing for change to the Qualified Immunity law? People want and need to hear actionable items for real change not just platitudes. It seems that this would be one very big, important step on the road to actual, visible reform; and a logical umbrella to bring all sides together beneath....not just federal, but state governments. I did a search on the topic and the most recent articles were a week ago before the craziness errupted.
I have really enjoyed the logical, unbiased, informed, faith-based view of your emails. They have provided balance in this year that resembles a global version of the Old Testament.
Thanks,
Jen
For years the United States had leadership better than we deserved. I think that was true of Ford, Carter, Reagan, and Bush 41. But I still see the reasons I voted for neither Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton in 2016. If Donald Trump treats the people of the USA as he would his subordinates in a failing business, he will take the Republican Party with him to the grave, and maybe the country too. As Christians we know that we do not deserve better, and we are blessed to have our citizenship in heaven. Saying "our citizenship is in heaven" can be a cop-out in the political realm, but eventually we have to "let God be God." We hope that Mr. Trump's good policies will outweigh his personal shortcomings, when people go to the polls, but we cannot guarantee that, nor can we guarantee that he will not become a vengeful old man.
Great speech. I hope he takes your advice, Erick.
Excellent in terms of emotion, logic, and action points. Sadly he has not hired you as a contract speech writer (not sure you'd want that job tho 😂)
looks like someone had sense enough to not let him give this speech. Made for TV moment. ridiculous. Show of strength. FOH. Trump ordered the troops to push the crowd back. Martial Law forthcoming.
Wow...this is an incredibly tone deaf response. I subscribed just to comment. For Trump to try to draw an equivalence between how he has been treated to how George Floyd and other minorities are treated by the systemically racist justice system. Unbelievable. Now he has the police and military making a show of force in DC against a crowd of protesters that did nothing to provoke them. Shameful.
Erick
Great speech.
Good for a movie. Each one of the paragraphs in the speech will interpreted differently by the press. They will listen carefully say RED if he says green. What do you do then??
There is only one issue till today. How did Trump win in 2016. They cannot get over it. If he wins again there will be an India investigation or some other made up stuff.
Keep in writing my friend. Thanks.
I agree and disagree. I think for Trump to on any level make himself part of the speech would be disastrous. A complete and utter failure. To compare his experience with Floyd would set off EVERYONE in a way that will probably lead to even worse rioting. Trump's struggles don't in any way make him on the par with what African-Americans have to see happening regularly. Not saying it's not a miscarriage of justice, just that it's tone deaf. For once, Trump should make it completely and totally about something besides himself. I am in complete agreement with the "solutions" given. except perhaps not as "carte blanche" as completely getting rid of qualified immunity.
I'd agree, but I think Trump needs to have a connection to make the case and that's the best I've got.
To clarify: Are you saying you think he actually should have the connection, or that Trump himself can only do well if he has a connection?
Great speech Erick. The part about qualified immunity is questionable as depending on implementation it could create a huge hole for frivolous lawsuits, just as the Mueller investigation created the ability for taxpayer funded partisan attorneys to persecute Trump's administration and bankrupt officials with high legal bills. As long as courts have the ability to make laws say what judges want them to say, there is no way to prevent them from making bad rulings, as the Supreme Court invented the right to qualified immunity in 1967, and invented the right to abortion in Roe, and invented to right of the government to force people to buy health insurance with Obamacare. The problem is the courts in the last half century have assumed the power to write laws instead of simply voiding laws based that violate constitutional protections.
To stop riots, you might want to add that rich backers of Antifa violence be subject to RICO prosecution, as clearly they are backing organized crime. There is no constitutional right to vigilante violence, whether the perpetrators are Antifa, BLM, or some White Supremacist group. Stop the violence and let peaceful protesters protest.
Yeah. I’d like to see him try to do that.
Good thoughts. I don't know much about qualified immunity, so read up on it. Is there a balanced way to approach it that would protect the good cops while allowing the space for bad cops to be dealt with?
I think Congress could find the right compromise. Right now it is really broad. Basically, no law enforcement personnel can be sued personally for misconduct unless someone else has done the exact same thing previously and it was ruled to have crossed the line.
Makes sense. By the way...I just subscribed to your substack a few days ago, but have followed you from many years past at Redstate. Thanks for all you do!
Thanks so much
Great!
Very Nice!
Perfect