OPINION: An open letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland
Merrick Garland,
As America watches the January 6th Committee hearings, I think to myself about what it means to live in a country that stands for the rule of law and Democracy.
I served in the US Army for 13 years, and I took an oath to defend the constitution and our country from enemies foreign and domestic. To be clear, I must admit that I voted for Trump in 2016, so this is the first time in my life that I’ve found myself wanting accountability for a person I voted for. And only you, Attorney General Merrick Garland, can provide that accountability.
On January 6th of 2021, President Donald Trump incited an attempted coup to overturn the results of a duly-conducted election. It was clear to me then, and it’s even more clear to me now, given all the damning evidence from the hearings that Trump has violated the Constitution numerous times. The insurrection, however, was the most dangerous result of Trump’s corruption. I still believe in my oath and in the Constitution, and I still believe that Trump will be prosecuted by Merrick Garland’s Justice Department.
I understand that Justice takes time, but it is vitally important that Trump is prosecuted because if he walks, it will set a dangerous precedent for our country that corrupt politicians can break the law. I know that the Department of Justice has made mistakes with obvious cases in the past, but I believe this case now can set this traditional institution on the right track, a track that our country so desperately needs.
Americans must know that there are consequences for their actions. I also worry about what our enemies will think if they see Trump walking free. This is something that can put our nation at a national security risk. There is so much that can go wrong for our country if Trump is allowed to walk free, but I have faith that you, Merrick Garland, and your January 6th prosecutors will do the right thing and bring him to justice. Please work with the January 6th committee to gather as much evidence as you need to put him away for a long time.
Lastly, Mr. Garland, if you allow Trump to walk, then you have to ask yourself this — because this is something that I and many Americans are already asking ourselves — what is the point of the Constitution if criminals walk free? A failure to prosecute Donald Trump for his multiple crimes will make everything we cherish as Americans meaningless.
This is an opinion column that solely represents the opinions of the author.
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