Editor’s note: The writer sent this letter to Vermont’s Congressional delegation and cc’d this newspaper.
Dear Senator Leahy, Senator Sanders, Representative Welch,
As a voter and taxpaying citizen of the state of Vermont, I earnestly request that you use the power of your elected office to initiate the process for censuring the President of the United States of America for lying to the American people. I think you will agree that his lies are cruel, manipulative and a menace to our democracy. Under Mister Trump’s leadership, We the People are constantly being misled, misinformed and fed “fake” truths that have absolutely no evidence or basis in reality. His lies are turning Americans against Americans, inciting hatred and, in some cases, violence. Sadly, his lies are enabling him to gain more and more unbridled power.
Other than by a formal vote of censure, it seems that We the People have no effective way to end the President’s lies. Due to the power of his office, his words could lead our nation into war, wreck our economy, alienate our allies, and persecute those seeking a better life. In my mind, they are criminal in their volume, their treachery, their effectiveness, and their cynicism. “The Art of the Deal,” as it relates to the President’s leadership, has become the “Art of the Lie.” In the hand of a dictator, such lies become a weapon, a form of power that beats down any attempt to voice opposition. Thankfully, we are not there yet.
Are untruths that affect the lives of millions of Americans legal? Is Congress powerless in this matter? Is there nothing that can be done? In asking that you use your good office to act on the matter of censure, I cite George Washington’s 110th Rule of Civility:
“Labour to keep alive in your Breast that Little Spark of Celestial fire Called Conscience.”
Charles Sabukewicz
Middlebury