This column is part two in a series: President Trump is a “Clear and Present Danger” to American Democracy
“The (American) Presidency is…Predominately a Place of Moral Leadership”
— President Franklin D Roosevelt
The year 2020 marks the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution legally permitting women the right to vote . Also observed in 2020 is the 75th anniversary of the End of WW II.
In 2020, these significant events in American history are overshadowed by current national emergencies created by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, global and domestic economic crises, America’s ongoing struggle to live up to its founding democratic ideals of equal economic opportunities, legal equality, political and social justice for all, and America’s continuing struggle between the forces of good and evil for America’s democratic soul.
America has not seen the magnitude nor confluence of overwhelming social, economic, political and public health emergencies on everyday life basis since 1968 (Vietnam, the Civil Rights Movement, crultural Revolutions, political upheaval); or even 150 or more years in American history (the American 1861-1865 Civil War.)
The year 2020 (and perhaps the next decade) will be viewed in the rear-view mirror of American history as the year, decade and time when America began to free itself as a prisoner from the forces of darkness and emerges into the light of America’s promises of equality, freedom and liberty for all.
During the recent Democractic National Convention, American Jon Meacham (Pulitzer Award winner, Presidential Scholar and Historian) in an unprecedented moment in American political history provided a brief but inspirational analysis on why Americans should support and elect the major party candidate of the Democratic party, and not the incumbent American President.
Without mentioning President Trump by name, Meacham declared: “Democracy is under assault by an incumbent who is more interested in himself then the rest of America,” Meachum declared his support for Joe Biden as someone who would lead our nation into a brighter promise of America’s future.
The essence of America is its collective, national “Soul”— which promises equal justice under the law to all. The essential choice in the 2020 Presidential Election is the eternal battle for the Soul of America between the force of darkness, versus the forces of light.
Perhaps Columnist Eugene Robinson said best in his column published in the print edition of Pocono Record on August 19, 2020, when he declared America desperately needs an “actual president” who is a functional and competent commander in chief instead of a “troll in chief— (who) is an aggrieved and angry heckler, shouting and tweeting conspiracy-theory fringes like an old guy at the end of the bar…”
As is his wanton nature, Trump fires up his loyal minority base by using and threatening to use federal agents as shock troops in major Democratic run cities while screaming tweets of “LAW and ORDER.” This is the same Law and Order Strategy, Nixon effectively deployed during his 1968 presidential election to protect the “Silent Majority.”
In 2020 the “America First” supporters of President are in the “Vocal Minority who take ’no responsibility’ for their individual and collective actions” (which includes Trump) whose non-use of masks in public has proved to be no national strategy in America at all.
In 2020, it may appear awkward and very trivial to think about and planning the building and construction of a presidential library and museum when America is beset by interacting national crises and national emergencies caused in part by the COVID-19 pandemic presently leading to over 180,000 deaths and nearly six million cases of coronavirus in less than six months.
Every past American Presidency since 1787 has eventually ended and led to memorializing a former American President birthplace, residences, and the establishment of a presidential museum and library.
Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941 had his presidential library and museum federally built in his honor at the Roosevelt Estate in New York. Richard Nixon had a federally funded presidential library and museum dedicated in 2007.
In 2020, there are at present 13 federally funded and operated U.S presidential libraries and museums. The future Barack Obama Center honoring President Obama will not be federally built nor funded. Finally, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial honoring the 34th American President will be dedicated in Washington D.C. sometime in 2020 or later, due to our current COVID-19 Pandemic. The Eisenhower memorial will be funded by both federal funds and private donations.
An interesting question: Will Trump have a presidential library and museum honoring his presidency?
Where will his presidential library and museum be built? What will his presidential library and museum look like? Who will fund, build, maintain and operate the Trump presidential library? The essential question of “when” the complex will be built will be partially answered on November 3.
To accelerate or to begin the thinking and planning of an eventual presidential library and museum honoring Trump, I offer a few tongue and cheek suggestions:
– The Trump Library and Museum will be named “The President Trump Resort and Spa”, conveniently located at Trump’s own Mar-a-Lago, in in the future will be a well known registered national landmark in Palm, Palm Beach , Florida. The “President Trump Resort and Spa” will be a 110- story combination presidential library and museum with 100 floors of condos in a magnificent Trump mirrored- gold tower as a federally funded project.
– The President Trump Library and Museum will be situated on the 1st through 3rd floors with one floor of reflected mirrors all centered around a revolving 8-foot Trump statue in faux gold proclaiming President Trump’s Greatest Twitter Hits and Fungible Lies. Fabulous quotes to be handed down in American History will include: “America Will Start Winning”; “America is Number One in The Word-Take My Word”; “Our Nation’s Coronavirus-aka China Virus-will Disappear One Day by itself-Trust me”; “My Enemy List is Larger than President Nixon’s Enemy List”; “ I Absolutely Love All Despots, Dictators and Strong Absolute Rulers -including myself”; “No One Does It Better Than Me-Whatever It is…” ; “I am Great American President since Honest Abe”, etc.
– The next 7- Stories of the President Trump Resort and Spa will to be rented and paid by federal funds will hold the new social and not-so-social media conglomerate “The Trump Entertainment Network” motto: “All News All The Time From Trump World”.
– The remaining 90th floor will consist of million dollar Condos to be purchased by admiring sycophants, friends and contributors.
Every four-year election cycle in electing our American presidents is important in American history; however, the upcoming Presidential Election of 2020 will be crucial to America’s future: as was 1974.
In 1974, newly-minted 38th President of the United States addressed the American public after the voluntary resignation of Richard Nixon in August (after the Watergate Scandal) eloquently stating:
“Our long national nightmare is over”
Richard Weintraub, Esq. is a guest columnist for the Pocono Record