It is a big day! Unexpected, though. Bear with us, please.

We were going to talk about the big snowstorm but it didn’t happen. Instead, we are going to talk about the Big Anniversary. We may be old, but we are still organized! We had contingency plans to bring out the National Guard to deal with the expected disturbances about the anniversary. We had been informed that tens of thousands of irritated people might descend on some portion of the National Capital Region and we ought to be ready to defend ourselves against insurrectionists. So far this morning we have seen none, which by previous criteria means the situation is dire.

We remember when the event occurred. There had been some minor hysterics leading up to it which we naturally enjoyed. There was a long tradition of some of the political people over on the Hill not appreciating the candidates who apparently triumphed in general elections. The argument is a Constitutional one that we find entertaining. Our top leaders are not selected on the number of individual votes they receive. Or at least not directly. In fact, the Constitution specifies that the States select delegates to come to Washington and certify the winner by their vote. The meeting of what they call ‘The Electoral College” is chaired by the Vice President and has largely been a mere formality in the traditional peaceful transfer of power.

Part of this is specified in the 10th Amendment to the Constitution, which was one of the first ones systematically trampled to give the Federal component of our government authority over things like interstate commerce. The 10th says powers not specifically allocated to the Feds are retained by the States or the People. We laugh about that one out on The Patio, since we have served- proudly served- a government that has grabbed an astonishing array of authorities over things that did not previously exist.

Many of the changes were useful. Others were not. Here is an example. Former Vice President Gore lost the vote in 2000’s Florida. It was close. In fact, it was so close that people began to talk about rectifying the results by sending a new slate of electors to Washington who would vote for Mr. Gore regardless of the vote tally. There is a string of flawed logic that goes along with that. It wound up in the Supreme Court, which decided that the original count would suffice and awarded Mr. Bush the Presidency.

Notwithstanding that decision, the flawed argument has been raised consistently ever since in our Democracy. Which is another of the strange changes, since we are not a Democracy. We are, by original intent, a “Constitutional Republic.” So you can see there is room for some ambiguity in the discussion about who actually won the election in 2020. In this week in 2021, the Electoral College was scheduled to convene and formalize the results of the election. You may recall there was some controversy about the results. It was not unexpected with the assorted bits of chaos associated with a global pandemic. We were uncertain enough that we decided not to observe the big demonstration held to protest the gathering. We are happy we did not go, since the former President apparently called for protestors to walk from the Mall over to the Hill “peacefully and patriotically” to make their voices heard.

That sounds perfectly legitimate, since we have seen the Senate majority leader standing on the steps of the Supreme Court and threaten the Justices in no uncertain terms if they failed to rule the way he wanted. So, ambiguity abounds and we will refrain from commentary critical of the officials who produced the results we are commemorating today. We will offer a stray thought or two on all the fuss. First, they have told us to shut up about it. They are attempting to infringe on ownership of firearms. They are not without kindness, though. Foreign Troops have not yet been billeted in the parking Lot at Big Pink. Unreasonable searches and seizure of our personal property? The Founders would be appalled to see what tools the advertising folks have developed to know everything about us without those ‘WARRANT’ thingies.

We can still “Take the Fifth,” which is a minor comfort, but we understand if you have to do that, you have probably already been stripped of all resources to pay off the lawyers. Jury Trials? Excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment? Both are matters under intense public discussion, but we used to be familiar with them. It might even get around to things we have not discussed yet, with powers allocated not to the government but to the people in the living room. The States already surrendered much of their power and no one asked our opinion about ours that we can recall.

Rocket had a pocket copy of the Constitution, and he slipped it back in the vest pocket of his three-piece suit. ‘That,” he said, “is a list of the protections for our rights. Given the current situation on the border, the thing about Foreign Troops in the parking lot may be changing as we speak.

So, that would all be interesting to talk about in a civics class some time, but they have quit teaching that subject most places. So, we raise a glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice to those imprisoned for entering doors opened by Capitol Police. We are not going downtown to find out more. We do not have enough lawyers.

Oh, the picture of Governor, Representative, and Secretary Bill Richardson of New Mexico? He just passed away, natural causes and probably had his trademark smile when he did. We have to smile as well, since Bill left before the names on the Epstein list were even partially publicized. That demonstrates one of the ways things work here.

Timing is everything, you know?

Copyright 2024 Vic Socotra
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