Suppose You Work For Trump…..
Most people’s reaction to the passionate and brilliantly written resignation letter below is one of congratulations. But is that correct?
What happens when the few remaining good people in the Trump administration resign? They’re replaced with bad people. Perhaps the best response to the criminal antics of our president is perseverance.
Craig,
Elizabeth Holtzman is quite right to resign. Any public servant who becomes politically active and believes she, not elected officials should create policy, has no place in the public service.
The only question mark hovering over her “crises of conscience” that remains is the anomaly of why she only now objects to the policy of “separation of children from their parents at the southern border” ?
Why didn’t Ms Holtzman object during the eight years this policy was in force during the Obama administration ? Where was her conscience then ? Why didn’t she object when Hillary Clinton issued a statement justifying the deterrence benefit of the policy.
Curiously, Ms Holtzman remained silent, even supportive, of the policy when enforced by the Obama administration, yet resigns when the Trump administration terminates the policy.
Oh well, Ms Holtzman is now a private citizen and her conscience is her own affair.
In the unlikely event that you’re sincerely interested in the truth on child separation under Obama and Bush, please see: https://www.factcheck.org/2018/06/did-the-obama-administration-separate-families/.
Refusing to follow illegal orders is an extremely important part of a civilized society. Conversely, following illegal orders is immoral; it’s what got twelve people sentenced to death at Nuremberg.
In the unlikely event that you’re sincerely interested in the truth on child separation under Obama and Bush, please see: https://www.factcheck.org/2018/06/did-the-obama-administration-separate-families/.
Refusing to follow illegal orders is an extremely important part of a civilized society. Conversely, following illegal orders is immoral; it’s what got twelve people sentenced to death at Nuremberg.
Craig,
So what you’re saying is it’s okay for governments to pass bad laws, as long as officials are lax in enforcement ?
Are you saying the Obama administration’s were and example of good government because it abrogated responsibility in the hope low ranking officials might not uphold the law ?
I’m afraid your definition of ‘fact’ is like your moral compass, so biased as to have lost all sense of definition and direction.
This quandary was typical of the Obama administration. The administration was weak and driven by high sounding, showy, but meaningless, rhetoric relying on symbolism and hypocrisy to attract favourable media support.
It’s a basic principle of law that laws and regulations must be enforced without fear or favour. In the advent of unintended consequences it’s the duty of the government and legislature to change the law, not rely upon low ranking officials to make their own choices.
To it’s credit, the Trump administration enforces the law without fear or favour. When unintended consequences arose, the President acted within his authority to amend the administration of the law.
This is garbage and you know it:
– Everyone on both sides wants immigration reform, such that good laws can be enforced.
– Meanwhile, the Trump administration is in clear violation of international law. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/05/usa-routine-separation-of-asylum-seeking-families-violates-international-law/
Craig,
Firstly, the administration can’t make laws. That prerogative is reserved for the legislature and the administration is charged with enforcing those laws.
Amnesty is a fine organization with noble aspirations, often unrealistic and impossible to administer.
Migration reform is a very difficult, heart breaking task, requiring very determined often cruel, enforcement.
Enforcement must be clear, well understood and rigorously enforced. The only method of deterring illegal migration is the certainty of the illegal migrant never achieving entry by illegal means and even if successful, certainty when the illegal migrant is discovered, they will be immediately incarcerated, and deported without recourse.
I would propose those aiding, abetting, employing or providing assistance to illegal migrant be face heavy penalties including the deportation costs.
Nothing else works as a deterrent except removing the objective.
Separation of families is undesirable, but sometimes necessary to prevent the practice of kidnapping or buying children to pose as family members for drug and people smuggling traffickers.
However, having said all that, I’d be very interested if you could outline what “good laws that can be enforced” you have in mind ?
The Democrats failed to produce effective policies, but I’d be interested in hearing how you would solve this most difficult problem ?