I’ve lamented before about having already covered in my Other Worldly novels so much of the fiendish fascism happening in the USA during round one of this contemptible administration from 2016 to 2020, but this week in particular I was reminded of having written about it in my newspaper column when I lived in rural central Nevada.
With yet another Republican atrocity occurring by their degenerate and dishonest voting for the big brainwashing bill they damn well knew would hurt millions of their constituents, we had one bright spot in the form of Hakeem Jeffries, House minority leader, giving a record-long speech to blast them for their dangerous duplicity, and to delay this disgusting bill’s passage.
It was Jeffries’ discussion of the very purpose of the Declaration of Independence—of which many Republican are blithely unaware and often confuse with the Constitution that, quite frankly, they don’t know much about either—that brought to mind a Fourth of July newspaper column published in 2018.
This time around it all seems so much worse because it is, but I can’t help but note that it is daunting, disturbing, and downright chilling how my words then—so similar to Jeffries’ spoken words this week—could so easily translate verbatim to 2025. Not to mention the uncanny words of the document itself, because absolutely nothing is lost in translation from the 1776-style of language, which anyone could easily be confused into thinking the drafters were addressing the vile villain currently occupying the White House as opposed to King George of Great Britain.
Hence, in what is decidedly not a celebration of Independence Day, I’ve decided to share herein that column from seven years ago today:
When in the course of inhumane events
July 4th is America’s day for celebrating the Declaration of Independence, signed by members of the original 13 states on July 4, 1776 and expressing ideals on which our nation was founded. This document begins, “When in the course of human events,” and continues with an explanation of its necessity.
“The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these States. To prove this, let facts be submitted in a candid world.”
Let that last sentence resonate. Facts. Candid world. Because candid means truthful, and that’s something we’ve not seen in the past year and a half from a president who seemingly would be “King,” nor have we been privy to actual facts from his administration. Repeated injuries and usurpation, however, is something observed and received aplenty.
The Declaration of Independence spells out a list of injuries and usurpations committed by a king, many of which have distinct and disturbing parallels to recent executive actions with respect to immigration, including evisceration of rights by the Border Patrol, ICE, and now JAG military lawyers, as well as foreign trade, obstruction of justice, attempts to destroy the balance of power, and disdain for the rule of law as it applies to the president, his family and his lawyer.
Here are stark similarities to present day from that historic document:
- He has refused his assent to laws.
- He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states, for that purpose obstructing the laws of naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.
- He has obstructed the administration of justice by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.
- He has made judges dependent on his will alone for the tenure of their offices.
- He has erected a multitude of new offices and sent hither swarms of officials to harass our people and eat out their substance.
- He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to civil power.
- For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world.
- For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments.
- He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty & perfidy scarcely parallelled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy of the head of a civilized nation.
- He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us. [Note that this is included in a column two years prior to the Jan 6 insurrection.]
The Declaration of Independence concludes with the following, “A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and consanguinity.”
For Americans who truly care about their country and what it is supposed to stand for, the systematic destruction of our democratic way of life, our republic, is nothing to celebrate this Fourth of July. When in the course of inhumane events, let facts be submitted in a candid world—against cruelty, corruption and criminality. Atrocities are occurring that cannot be obfuscated with even the grandest of fireworks displays.