Sedition, thy name is Trump

To the editor:

If six Democratic lawmakers, accused of sedition, agreed with President Donald Trump, they might be singing Roger Miller’s song, “Dang Me”:

“Dang me, dang me / They outta take a rope and hang me / High from the highest tree / Woman, would you weep for me?”

The irony and hypocrisy of Trump’s threats to brand the six military veterans, all of them elected officials, Elissa Slotkin, Mark Kelly, Jason Crow, Maggie Goodlander, Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan as guilty of sedition, punishable by death, is both shocking and breathtaking.  

It’s breathtaking in light of the fact that Trump is a draft-dodging coward who is so willing to put others in harm’s way when he avoided his own military duty.  He also arguably incited an insurrection on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, that he knew threatened the lives of members of Congress, caused serious injuries to 140 police officers, and led to the death of five police officers. He recently pardoned those Proud Boys who were convicted of sedition and given long prison sentences. To wax poetic: Sedition, your leader is Trump.  

The six military veteran members of Congress told those in the military that they are required not to obey illegal and unconstitutional orders. It’s clear that military members violate both the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and the U.S. Constitution if they obey orders from superiors that are clearly illegal or unconstitutional. However, Trump said that the warning to members of the military by members of Congress is sedition punishable by death. 

I believe it is more honorable to live under serious death threats, as the six legislators are, than to live peacefully, cowed by a ruthless dictator who has no respect for the law, the Constitution and human rights.  

Michael J. Gorman

The writer is a lawyer and a Vietnam veteran.