Unbelievable quotes
There are times when we hear prominent people or in power saying things that bring us to a full stop and we can’t even hear the rest of the conversation.
A perfect example was when Supreme Court Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. “My biggest concern,” she said, “is that your view has the First Amendment hamstringing the government in significant ways.” She suggested there should be changes to the First Amendment to give the government more control over people.
She doesn’t understand that it is the job of the First Amendment. According to Reason Magazine, an online publication, “The government, of course, does not have the right to punish someone criminally for the vast majority of speech.”
Similarly, in her dissent from the Court’s opinion that afforded former President Donald Trump broad immunity, Justice Sonia Sotomayor pondered the potential doomsday consequences: “A president could pocket a bribe for a pardon, stage a military coup to retain power, order the killing of a rival by the Navy’s SEAL Team Six — and be protected from prosecution for all of it.” Sotomayor wrote in the 30-page dissent, joined by fellow liberal Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Chief Justice John Roberts accused the liberal justices of fear mongering in the 6-3 majority opinion. They were predicting future behavior and that is not the role of the Justices. Besides, it’s all been done before!
That comment from Justice Sonia Sotomayor reminded me of Bill Clinton’s administration because he used his power under the U.S. Constitution to grant pardons and clemency to 456 people. But, in his last day in office, Clinton issued 140 pardons as well as several commutations on January 20, 2001. This was ridiculed as “Pardongate.”
In the book Pardongate: How Bill and Hillary Clinton and their Brothers Profited from Pardons, by Mark Hyman, R. Emmett “Bob” Tyrrell, Jr. you can learn that it was the selling of pardons for money and influence that launched the Clintons’ nearly two-decade pay-for-play scheme—a scheme that not only amassed billions of dollars for the Clinton Foundation and hundreds of millions of dollars for the Clintons but also catapulted Hillary into a presidential front-runner. Pardongate reveals details of the Clinton machine that will leave even the most informed citizens appalled.
Now these justices are afraid that Donald Trump could do that when the Clintons got away with it. What hypocrisy!
Am I the only person who understood that this was not in favor granted to President Donald Trump but a rule that will be in effect for all future presidents to abide by and be protected by?
Back to reality in Lawrence
That’s enough for national affairs; that’s why I like to limit Rumbo to local issues. We have enough characters who probably believe they are in the Supreme Court as well.
As a continuation of last week’s column, I was so annoyed with Fidelina Santiago (District A councilor) that I forgot her tyrannical behavior when approving three candidates for appointments to local boards.
First, Frederick Diaz was to be appointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals. This is a very important board, and the councilors didn’t have anything negative to bring against Frederick. He is well-liked and known by most people, having served as chief of staff for Mayor William Lantigua for a short time.
Fidelina drilled him with questions looking for negativity to no avail. When it was time to vote him in, she voted “No” which was unexpected after she asked him so many questions.
Then, it was time to interview Enerolina Tavera and Gabriela Taveras on the Planning Board. These two very well-educated candidates with a beautiful presence are the type of people we wish could be running this city.
Fidelina jumped on the attack by asking, “You live in District A. I am your councilor. “I had a neighborhood meeting recently and didn’t see you there.”
WHAT AN IDIOT! Is that how she plans to run her district? She cannot force anyone to attend her gatherings and even worse is that she should not chastise a resident in public during a city council meeting for something that has nothing to do with the position for which she was elected.
All the appointments were sent by Mayor Brian DePeña since he is responsible for filling those boards and after showing off her abusive behavior, this dictator in training voted against all three candidates. Once more, this proves my theory that she will not approve of anything requested by the mayor. How can we have a city councilor who doesn’t have an open mind to judge people and issues according to their value and contribution to the city?
I know that she is probably overwhelmed with her legal problems and the uncertainty of whether she will end up in jail, but she should do her job in the council with integrity, not hate.
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