longer.blue

I’ve been thinking a lot today about how America used to be governed by the rule of law and how far we seem to have strayed from that foundation. How is it possible that a sitting president can defy a Supreme Court order and face no consequences? How can a president openly attack federal judges for doing their job, upholding the Constitution, and be met with silence or applause? How have we reached a point where blatant assaults on our legal system are not only tolerated but encouraged by political enablers? It feels like we are watching the collapse of democratic norms in real time. When citizens are being abducted off the streets, from universities, schools, and even their homes, with no accountability or due process, how can we still claim to be a democracy? And while this happens, Republican leaders largely stand by, say nothing, and in some cases actively support it. Is this the country we’ve become? What happened to consequences? What happened to the Constitution? Is this the country our brave men and women gave their lives to protect? Did they die fighting tyranny abroad only for us to surrender to it at home? Now, one man, along with his enablers and millions who still call themselves patriots, is actively tearing apart the very fabric of the nation they claim to love. Every day, they undermine the principles this country once stood for: the rule of law, the separation of powers, and equal justice for all. Despite protests, legal challenges, and millions of voices raised on social media, the erosion of the rule of law continues. So I ask: when will this country demand that the rule of law be reinstated, not just in words, but through decisive, tangible action? I’ve written to both of my U.S. Senators. I have little hope I’ll receive a response. But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop speaking out. What we’re witnessing is not normal. And silence now is complicity. It’s time for bolder action, before there’s nothing left to save. Dear Senator Durbin, I am writing to express my deep concern about what appears to be an escalating constitutional crisis that requires an immediate and forceful response from your office. Recent actions by the White House represent a direct defiance of lawful court orders. More disturbingly, administration officials are openly boasting about their refusal to comply and asserting that judicial oversight does not apply to them. This rhetoric, suggesting that judges have no authority to check executive power, is both dangerous and wholly incompatible with the principles of our constitutional democracy. Such statements are not only legally baseless but also represent a fundamental threat to the balance of powers established in our Constitution. Threatening judges for fulfilling their constitutional duties is the behavior of autocracies, not democratic republics. We do not have kings in this country. No one is above the law—not the President, not any billionaire, and not any public official. It is the responsibility of the remaining branches of government to act swiftly and decisively to uphold the rule of law. I urge you to take meaningful and immediate action. The longer these unlawful behaviors go unchecked, the more difficult and dangerous it becomes to restore democratic norms. Individuals such as Donald Trump and Elon Musk have repeatedly tested the limits of our legal and institutional safeguards. We must not allow them, or anyone else, to continue violating the law with impunity. This is a moment that demands courage and clarity. Please act. I also want to raise a concern about the communication process itself. Multiple times, I have written to your office regarding urgent national matters and have not received any response. Given this pattern, I would suggest removing the option on your website that says, “I would like a response from the Senator.” It feels disingenuous to offer that choice when no follow-up is provided. If public input is not being acknowledged, it undermines trust in the democratic process and the accessibility of our elected officials. Respectfully, David Piekarczyk