Calls for a gas tax holiday avoid the real problem. This isn’t about the state government making the best of chaos from D.C.
What is the real problem? Mr. Trump attacked Iran without provocation, without seeking the opinion or consent of our military and Congress before he directed, or someone else did, the attack.
Why would Iran “negotiate” when it was attacked? The only thing left to discuss is how much is required for reparations. To date, the Republicans in the House would rather shut the House down than allow a proposed bill to be brought forward to rein in the Trump chaos and further illegal acts against Iran (and indirectly, the world). We are all paying more for everything because of this lunacy. There are fuel shortages around the globe, and food shortages are soon to follow. While wealth and “opportunities” continue to concentrate even more at the top.
The U.S. Constitution, 14th Amendment, Section 3, is the disqualification clause, and barred Mr. Trump from running as a candidate in 2024 because of his felony convictions and direct participation in Jan. 6, 2021 (such as funding buses to bus into D.C.). Congress didn’t exempt the qualification by a 2/3 vote. Does the U.S. Constitution still mean something?
This same provision (14th Amendment, Section 3) has successfully barred elected state officials who engaged in insurrection from holding state office, as recently as 2024. Enacted in the wake of the Civil War, Section 3 establishes a qualification for office akin to other constitutional qualifications based on age, citizenship and residency, and is the only qualification that applies to both federal and state offices.
State of New Mexico v. Griffin is the case that barred Griffin from holding state offices, affirmed by both the New Mexico Supreme Court and, on March 18, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court. He, Griffin, had participated in, supported and incited the January 6, 2021, insurrection. Jan. 6, 2021, was an insurrection.
Griffin ran and won the state commissioner position, which required him to swear to defend the U.S. Constitution after participating in J6, even though he must swear the oath to support the U.S. Constitution to become a county commissioner. Everyone like Griffin is disqualified to hold any office and should “self-enforce” by immediately resigning or refraining from running for public office. What the Griffin case proves is that citizens and states can enforce the U.S. Constitution as well as Congress through state courts.
A great organization that has taken the lead on this and related matters is Citizens for Ethics (or CREW).
Helen Nowlin
Glenoma
