By Andy Leheny

A small diverse group of persons, including a nine-year-old girl, witness a miscarriage of Justice. No, it is more than that. They are witness to a failure of empathy, one which is endangering a man’s life. It is terrifying to them, even to the child, that then Officer Derek Chauvin, with his knee securely on George Floyd’s neck, is dangerously near to draining all life from Mr. Floyd.

These few cannot help themselves. Their voices are urgent, telling Officer Chauvin to get off Mr. Floyd. To let him breath! But Chauvin, nor any of the officers with him, seem to understand what is so obvious. Why don’t Floyd’s pleadings to breathe, his calling to “momma” in these moments of terror, cause Chauvin to stop choking off his ability to breath? Why is there no compassion within these police officers to comprehend the evil their complicity permits? How can this be happening? Why does there not exist any appreciable understanding shown by these protectors of the public that the danger of the passing of an alleged $20 bill has resulted in their life-threatening treatment of George Floyd?

An African-American youth “may” have shoplifted and is shot six times by a police officer. A 12-year-old child, whose skin is not white, plays with a toy gun in a neighborhood park. The police are called. As an officer leaves his patrol car, he shoots and kills the child. In another city police decide to arrest an African-American man for selling a loose cigarette for $1. Over a $1 “crime” police decide to put this person of color in a chokehold. And, as we see again, and again, and again, persons of color continue to die, their lives devalued as injustices continue.

As I watch the trial of Officer Chauvin, his defense attorney tries to distort reality. The small crowd seeking to save Floyd is described by the attorney as a “mob”, whose behavior limited the ability of Chauvin and the other officers to help Floyd. But there is video evidence. There is first hand witness accounts. The claims of Chauvin’s defense is baseless. Perhaps more importantly police officials refuse to stand behind the psychological “blue wall.” They condemn the actions of Derek Chauvin as counter to what police ethics and morality should be.

There has been so much injustice in our nation. The trial of Derek Chauvin seems committed to the pursuit of true justice, seeking to find an American rarity, a verdict untainted by centuries of racism.

I think of the blindfolded statue of Lady Justice. It is time. Long past time. For Equal Justice for All.

By Andrew Leheny

On Thursday, March 11, I was scheduled to receive my first COVID 19 vaccination. Yet despite being on-time and not having a fever, I was twice denied by an official of the pharmacy administering the vaccinations to receive the inoculation.

Here’s some background. Nearly a month earlier, on February 13, my wife Becky received the first of the two-part COVID 19 inoculation at St. Francis University in Loreto, Pa. The event was administered by the Mainline Pharmacy group. Becky fully followed the Mainline Procedure and all went smoothly.

I was to follow the same procedure for my March 11 appointment at the same location. I registered through my health care provider and was assigned an inoculation time by Mainline of 1:06 p.m also at Saint Francis. I was instructed not to arrive more than 15 minutes early; and that my shot would take approximately one minute, followed by a precautionary brief wait. The entire experience should not exceed a maximum of 30 minutes total. I anticipated no problems for my vaccination.

However, my first impression on arrival at the college was that of chaos. .Although it was raining a line extended out from the inoculation location into a parking lot. I was concerned because I only came 10 minutes early as instructed. I could clearly see how crowded it was inside, with no room for social distancing and no attempt being made to make this situation less congested.

Those outside were told to “come in out of the rain.” People crowded in as several nurses took temperatures. Apparently mine was fine and I pointed out to one nurse that I arrived as directed and was to be vaccinated within a few minutes at 1:06 p.m. The nurse said “that doesn’t matter any more.” From where I stood there was a line of at least several hundred persons ahead of me. When I continued to ask what had happened I was told a representative of Mainline Pharmacy would speak with me. I spoke with Steve Pope, the director of Sales and Marketing for Mainline. I told Mr. Pope I could see he was coping with some problem, but he said there was “no screw-up.” He asked what I wanted and I said I followed all of Mainline’s instructions and I wanted to receive my shot a my scheduled time of 1:06 p.m.

Mr. Pope said he was dealing with 2,000 people and it would be “unfair” for others already in line to allow me to get my vaccination before them. Except, I pointed out, it was Mainline that scheduled me for this specific time and directed me not to come more than 15 minutes in advance. I heard people complaining in line of Mainline ignoring its own procedures and allowing people in early. Mr. Pope then refused my request to allow myself and others to follow Mainline’s own schedule. I said this was what was really unfair, punishing those who followed the rules and benefiting those who did not. I had to leave because I will be 70 soon, have a pacemaker and could not stand for what appeared to be a couple of hours more. This had to be a difficult day for anyone with health issues. I had hoped Becky would have had a better experience for her second shot today (March 13) but she also encountered a line going out into the parking lot.

Instead of being only with a group getting their second inoculation, first timers were also participating today Doesn’t this send up a red flag of increasing the chance of confusing first and second inoculations? Again the times assigned to receive shots were not being following.

In the January 29 issue of the Altoona (Pa.) Mirror, Mr. Pope informed the public, once their inoculation was established, to arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled time. He said persons who arrived earlier would be required to wait in their vehicles until 15 minutes remained until their inoculation. He said masking and social distancing would be enforced. But other than wearing masks, social distancing and waiting requirements were not at least consistently enforced. Mr. Pope refused to follow the Mainline schedule on March 11 or 13. Mr. Pope said previously including a short wait after inoculation only a total of 30 minutes would be involved. This was far from accurate.

Why Mainline ignored their own plan needs to be explained and not be permitted to reoccur.

(My freelance articles have appeared in such publications as “The Washington Post,” “Pittsburgh Post Gazette”, and other regional and national publications. I give permission for publication of this article. Although I would be grateful for appropriate payment, my primary concern is that the COVID 19 procedures are done safely and efficiently. andy.leheny@yahoo.com)

by Andy Leheny

It’s been almost 18 years since that cold December night when the possibility that the supernatural had entered our home, but not through the sighting of an opaque spirit wandering through an upstairs hallway, but manifested by the simple ringing of a telephone.

We used to live near Rock Island, IL. and often visited a truly memorable cemetery named Chippiannock, which I understood in the language of those early native Americans meant “Village of the Dead.” Although most would not choose having hundreds of departed souls as neighbors, we did not object. To us, Chippiannock was a marvel to explore, from the actual anchor which serves as the tombstone of a ship’s captain, to the fragile-looking, yet stone crib, mourning the loss of an infant ages ago, and all the other tributes to the lives of all those lifeless bodies, or ashes and bones, which now reside there. It is not so much that Chippiannock Cemetery draws us to visit, but that the souls who perhaps still linger there deserve our respect for the joys and tragedies of the lives they lived.

We visited and explored Chippiannock rather often, driving through to look at generations old tombstones and other monuments to the dead. For several Memorial days we took flowers to Chippiannock, with our young son, Noah, as he helped us place these small simple gifts on selected graves.

Our family’s respect for the dead took on a more personal significance when almost 18 years ago now Becky’s 57-year-old brother, Roy, suddenly died. It was hard to imagine Roy not alive. He was a big, robust man, with a gentle soul, who lived in Arizona with his wife, Casilda, and two young adult daughters, Tavya and Sarah. When his big, strong right hand grasped mine in a handshake, it fully enveloped it and his firm grip seemed to offer genuine friendship and good will.

It was two days after Roy’s burial, well after midnight, when our phone rang, interrupting our sleep. I quickly answered the phone, fearing another emergency.

“Hello”, I answered, waiting a few seconds but not getting a response. “Hello”, I said loud.

”Hello,” I said, louder yet. No answer and I hung up.

I wasn’t in the mood for a crank call, not with Becky so understandably upset over Roy’s death. The phone rang again. I quickly answered it.

“Hello,” I now said angrily. But still no response.

“Who is this?”, I asked. Yet I heard no voice, not even a breath..

I hung up again. Over the next hour the crank calls continued, and my anger reached the boiling point. As I quickly answered each time the phone rang, I vehemently cursed the unknown caller. It was then that my angry words woke Becky up. I told her about the crank calls.

“Did you try dialing ‘star 69’?” Becky asked.

That’s right, I thought, I should dial star 69. It gives you the last number which called your phone. I dialed it. The number repeated back to me seemed familiar. I showed it to Becky.

She reached into our nightstand drawer and pulled out her address book. She scanned a few pages and then stopped, surprised.

“Andy,” she said. “It’s Roy’s phone number.”

I tried to think of some reason behind these calls. Then it dawned on me. Maybe for some reason Roy’s wife needed help.

“Maybe it’s Casilda,” I told Becky. “Maybe she’s trying to contact us.”

So despite it being 2 a.m. at her Arizona home, we called Casilda. We explained about the calls we received and shared we were genuinely concerned about her and her daughters.

But she shared no one from her home had tried to call us. They couldn’t explain what happened. We shared our goodbyes and hung up. There were no more calls that evening.

Perhaps there is a logical explanation for those unusual phone calls. Electronics gone astray. The magnetic field of the Earth. Some rational explanation. Perhaps most would believe they were simply crank phone calls. But to others, it may have been a message from a brother to a sister. A message that there is something, or perhaps some place, greater than death.

Choices may be governed by logic. Choices may be governed by faith. Years later we would move to the small rural community of Charlotte, Iowa. Prior to our move to Charlotte, Iowa, as we continued our Chippiannock visits, we wondered to ourselves if each shadow we saw was a departed soul, and if the sound of every broken twig was the approach of the undead.

But in Charlotte we watched and wondered from a new venue. From the backyard of our Iowa home, we could look beyond the ocean of plowed corn fields, to a small country cemetery in the far distance. It was the cemetery of unadorned nameless graves for the residents of the former Clinton County Home for the Poor.

So there we would stare at night into the star-filled country, moonlit sky, and think often of the souls who were our neighbors in Rock Island, and of these poor souls who had become our neighbors. We would sit on our back porch, as the cool night breezes drifted past, and wonder about cemeteries, both grand and plain, and question if the consistent ringing of a phone had some connection to our neighbors then and now. Perhaps, we wondered, whether a cemetery is somewhat like a window, allowing one to stare from life into the murky unknown of Death. And if that is true, is the reverse also true? That those souls who have passed on can similarly look back from their spiritual world into ours of flesh and blood, and breath and life.

We wondered if on that December night the souls of Chippiannock offered a simple act of kindness to a new gentle traveler to their world, beckoning to him, sharing “we know your sister well, Roy. She’s a kind person and she is nearby, ” And somehow those souls engaged the magic which surrounds both life and death, and a ringing phone carried a voiceless message from a brother to his sister. Permitting Roy’s strong hands to navigate their way between life and death, and to gently rest upon his sister’s heart, offering solace. Confirming that the mystery of love is far stronger than the reality of death.

On the next Memorial Day I drove Becky and Noah to the cemetery for the poor. We placed a modest bouquet of flowers at the home of our new neighbors.

Who knows the true power of a simple act of kindness?

-end-

by Andrew Leheny

.    A tyranny of the minority, coordinated by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, must be confronted by Democratc members of Congress by all legal means.
.    Senator McConnell would likely dispute the claim that a tyranny of the minority exists.  There are 54 GOP senators, clearly a majority.  Yet, the GOP represents 153 million Americans, compared to 168 million served by Democratic senators. The reason for the disparity?  Republican gerrymandering has distorted voting district boundaries in order to maintain its artificially created Senate majority.
.    When factoring in Hillary Clinton won the 2016 election popular vote by 2.9 million, the GOP’s denying of the Will of the People becomes a glaring concern; especially since the Mueller report revealed Paul Manafort provided Rust Belt state polling data to a Russian agent prior to the election, which questions the legitimacy of the Trump presidency..
.    The GOP argument that it was justified in not voting on President Obama’s nominee  strains belief. Not only was there 10 months until the election, but his nominee, Judge Merrick Garland, was recommended by former GOP Senator Orrin Hatch. But as we know McConnell refused to allow even a vote on the nomination, while creating a new standard that no SCOTUS nomination in an election year be permitted.
.     However, now McConnell and most of his GOP colleagues refuse to honor their words. But the overwhelming majority of Americans do want the GOP to honor their promises.They do not wish a POTUS who lied to the nation about the dangers of coronavirus to now be given a choice of a SCOTUS nominee. Nor do the great majority of Americans wish the Republican Party, which has been complicit in Trump’s failures, to make this decision. 
     I believe there is a legal path to challenge Senator McConnell and all but a few GOP senators to ignore prior promises and to ram through an SCOTUS nominee against the Willof the People.
.    I understand contracts can be both written and verbal.  The key is both parties to a contract must each provide consideration for the contract to be valid.  Senator McConnell, and all GOP senators  promised that if during an election year a Supreme  Court vacancy occurred, the vacancy would be filled by our next elected president.  This is the GOP consideration.
.    The consideration given by President Obama was not to simply appoint Judge Garland to the vacancy because Senator McConnell would not allow a vote on his nomination as McConnell was required to do. This should be the basis for a breach of contract claim against Senator McConnell and all GOP  senators now breaking their agreement.
.  On this matter, the GOP’s Tyranny of the Minority must stop.

This oped may be used by any publication as long as credited to author.

---

By Andrew Leheny

 

I often wish my father had the opportunity to meet our son, Noah.                                                   

Three years after my Dad’s death in 1996,  Becky and I became parents through our adoption of a three-month-old baby impacted by spina bifida.  Considering all the medical challenges Noah would go on to face, I wish his Grandpa Andy was around to share a childhood of humor and hugs with him.            

You see, the legacy I received from my Dad was an affinity for a  life filled with friendliness and laughter.

My father loved to tell jokes.  Although my Dad worked in a steel mill, I am certain his dream was likely to become an entertainer. He wrote a monthly humor column for the local union newspaper.  I recall so many nights in our living room when he shared jokes with his growing family. (He and my Mom would become parents of five boys and two girls.)  Often  accompanying the jokes would be a display of his other love, singing. He had a good singing voice, and it was common for us to hear our father sit in his armchair and suddenly perform his rendition of Harry Belafonte’s latest hit, or of a western standard like “Town of El Paso.”          

Those are good memories. It’s now been 24 years since my father’s  passing and Noah is 21 years old.  I often wish my Dad had lived long enough to have met Noah when he was a child.

Which may explain that clear dream from the other evening. 

In the dream I saw my father, not at 68-years old just before his passing, but as a young man in his early 20s.  My father was wearing a black leather motorcycle jacket, like Marlon Brando in the film “The Wild Ones.” I had once seen a photo of him as a young man wearing this jacket.  

 I walked over to him and we shared a firm handshake.
           

“You look good, Andy,” said my Dad.

 “You look even better,” I answered.  “Especially for someone who died in 1996.”
 

My Dad smiled.  
 

“Well, it has been awhile,” he said..”Heard any good ones lately?”                    .           

During my father’s life telling one another jokes had been our way of saying hello for decades, before his body succumbed and he lay 40 days in a coma before dying. Although I could not recall a joke to share, he told one that was surprisingly risque.

“Somehow I only expected clean jokes in the after-life,” I said.

 “Well, it really wasn’t a dirty joke,” said my Dad. “It was ‘earthy’ and up here ‘earthy’ is okay.”

I seemed realize then that he and I were in the kitchen from my childhood. He invited me to join him sitting at that old small table.    My father,  looking so younger than I had ever known him, just stared at me for a few moments.          

“You know, I missed you Andy.,” he said. “I missed your Mom. I missed all of you.”

Before I could say we missed him too, Noah wheeled into the kitchen. A young man now.  A college student.  It was so hard for me to believe that the years have past by so fast.

“Dad”, I said,  “this is your grandson, Noah.”

“Noah, this is my father. This is your grandfather.”
           

Noah looked at both of us and smiled. 

Although my father was not of the generation known for hugs, he walked over to Noah’s wheelchair and bend down, giving Noah the warm hug of a grandfather to his beloved grandson.
 

“Hello Noah,” said my father.
           

“Hello Grandpa,” Noah answered.        

Now Noah’s grandfather smiled. 
           

“Well grandson,”  said my Dad  
             

“I have just the joke for you.”                        
         

And as I wake up one of my favorite song lyrics comes to me, by the late Harry Nilsson.

“Dreams are nothing more than wishes
           

And a wish is just a dream 
           

You wish to come true.”                                                                                                                                            

---

By Andy Leheny

On September 29, 2005, as you assumed the Office of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, you took two oaths, the Judicial and the Constitutional Oaths of Office.

Under the Judicial Oath you swore to “administer justice without respect to persons, and to do equal right to the poor and to the rich.” Under the Constitutional Oath you “freely” swore “true faith and allegiance” to the Constitution and to “defend” it “against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”

 Before our nation, before people throughout the world who treasure individual freedom, the character of your commitment to solemn oaths is now being tested.

 I am writing to you as a citizen of the United States, a grandchild of immigrants who invested in the promise of America. I embrace the ideals of our nation, and am concerned our commitment to the Constitution’s ideals of truth and justice for all are being corrupted. 

False arguments are being offered which may deter you from acting in full support of the solemn oaths you have taken.

In voting to deny witnesses and documents in the Impeachment Trial of Donald J. Trump. Senator Lamar Alexander argues the House case is proven but that Trump’s actions do not meet the “high bar for an impeachable offense.” Senator Alexander argues “let the people decide” in the 2020 election how to respond to Trump’s “inappropriate” acts.

Senator Alexander ignores the current reality in poll after poll that up to 75% of the American public want relevant witnesses and documents. It is apparent the citizens of our nation want to know what happened. They want a fair trial, not a process which hides or obscures truth.

Senator Alexander’s stance blocks the American people from knowing information which may prove Trump’s acts were more damning than just “inappropriate.” On the other hand, witnesses and documents might mitigate Trump’s actions.

 The question which Senator Elizabeth Warren forwarded for you to read, about the impact of the trial on the American people’s perception of you and the Supreme Court, is a critical issue to be addressed.

The oaths you took require that you do what all but two GOP senators refused to do.  To permit the calling of relevant witnesses and that the subpoena of relevant documents be honored. The perception of you and the Supreme Court must not be as being politically motivated  

The calling of relevant witnesses, and subpoena of pertinent documents, is not a Republican or Democratic issue. The Constitution, and the oaths you have taken to defend it, demand a fair trail. Trump’s public statements to block witnesses and documents, despite his attorneys’ after the fact attempts to redefine his actual words, is a blatant attempt to place himself above the laws of our nation. 

It is imperative that you defend the Constitution and permit relevant witnesses and documents.

Oaths demand an adherence to one’s promise.  All senators swore impartiality for Trump’s impeachment trial. Yet both Senator Mitch McConnell and Senator Lindsey Graham stated publicly they would not be impartial jurors.  Now Senator Graham has been implicated in Trump’s actions. Senator McConnell is coordinating with the accused, President Trump.  Knowing this Conflict of Interest. how could senators McConnell and Graham been permitted to serve as jurors?  Without their votes, the issue on witnesses would have been tied 49-49, with you determining what the Constitution requires.

Myself, and many Americans fear our institutions are being compromised. The Department of Justice, under William Barr, declined to investigate the Whistle Blower compliant against Donald Trump. Previously, Attorney General Barr misled the American public on the findings of the Mueller Report. The GOP majority of the Senate are appointing for life judges who share their political views but have been determined “not qualified” by the American Bar Association.

The American perception of justice will be profoundly impacted by the Impeachment trial of Donald J. Trump.  Will the American Public perceive the Scales of Justice still reflect our nation’s commitment to truth and justice, or that some persons, or even one, are above the law.

It is the hope of most Americans that you will honor the oaths you have taken.

We Americans see corruption growing within our nation.  How can that fact be disputed when 51 of 53 Republican senators argue a fair trial, in the United States of America, is not necessary? The great majority of the American People are praying that you, Chief Justice John Roberts, have the courage to rule that a fair trial is demanded by our Constitution.

May the Constitution guide you and the Supreme Court of the United States of America.

Sincerely

Andy Leheny

Citizen

       

       

                                                   

       

       

By Andy Leheny

(This is a revision of a short, short story first published two decades ago.)

The bartender turned up the thermostat.

“Forget that it’s winter,” said Carl, a regular at the tavern. “It’s still unusually cold for Florida.”

Russo, the stocky bartender, nodded in agreement and slid another celery stalk-adorned Bloody Mary to Carl. He raised the glass and took a drink. Finding the cocktail acceptably smooth but respectively potent, he returned his gaze to the bar’s one aged television. On it was another vampire film, in which Carl anticipated within moments the hero’s hands to frantically grasp at curtains and pull them to the floor. The sunlight would stream in and Dracula’s screams would be cut short as he withered into dust.

Must be about 11 p.m. thought Carl. The movie is nearly over.

“Horror movies are alright,” said a silver-haired guy four stools down from Carl. “But personally I prefer science fiction films.”

To Carl his fellow patron appeared about 55, but a good 55.

“Any particular kind of science fiction do you prefer?”, asked Carl.

Silver-haired smiled.

“Anything with aliens in it is fine with me”, he answered.

Carl and his new acquaintance decided to discuss their horror and science fiction film preferences over several rounds of drinks.

“You know, I’m a bit of an amateur writer,” said silver-haired. “I have an idea for a science fiction film.”

“Imagine there really are aliens among us,” he continued . “But they have no respect for humans. They see us as insignificant and enjoy playing with our lives.

“They play with our lives as some children will torture ants with a magnifying glass.”

“So how would these aliens play with our lives?”, Carl asked.

Carl’s new acquaintance paused.

“You know the saying ‘why do bad things happen to good people’?” said silver-haired. “Of course, pure chance may be seen as good luck or bad luck.

“But what if aliens took some action which started a war, or triggered some perceived natural disaster that caused the loss of human life,” he continued. “But for no other reason than to see how this species called human would react.

“These aliens would see humans as so insignificant that what we would perceive as torture they would view as laughable,” said silver-haired. “They would put the inhabitants of earth through pain and anguish just for fun.”

Carl looked and saw it was now just past midnight.

“Sounds like an interesting plot, said Carl. “Time for another round?”

“No, sorry,” silver-haired answered and got up from his bar stool.

As he rose, Carl noticed the bartender tear a page from the bar’s daily calendar, situated on the wall beneath the television. It was now January 28.

My God, Carl thought, it seems like it was just yesterday it was Christmas. And now it was almost the end of January of 1986.

As Carl heard the door of the tavern open, he noticed on the television a remote from Cape Kennedy was being broadcast.

The Challenger was ready for its launch later this day. It stood, the steam from shuttle and rocket mixing, like the warm breath of the astronauts inside, with unusually cold night air.

The first teacher in space, thought Carl, and then heard the voice of silver-haired as he exited the bar.

“Goodbye,” said the stranger. ” I really must go now.

“Today will be a busy day for me.”

By Andrew Leheny

If satire is a reliable indication of public sentiment, then Saturday Night Live’s parody last weekend of Donald Trump’s Impeachment trial merits some examination.

In the parody, the Devil offers praise to key GOP figures for their hypocrisy and blindness to evidence while defending Donald Trump. SNL’s opening skit lampooned such figures as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, attorney Alan Dershowitz, and the ghost of Jeffrey Epstein. But is the parody accurate that the GOP will break accepted norms of a fair trial, such as hearing testimony from relevant witnesses and reviewing pertinent documents, and deny both the prosecution and defense these normal resources?

The resolution to the concerns is of critical importance to our nation.

SNL’s satire also brought to mind a short story about a fictional trial and the issue of its fairness.

Published by The Saturday Evening Post in 1936, “The Devil and Daniel Webster” presents the tale of a New Hampshire farmer who in a moment of despair agrees to sell his soul to the Devil in exchange for a more successful life. Written by Stephen Vincent Benet, the story shares the farmer’s desire to be released from his contract with the Devil when it comes due a decade later. He secures the assistance of famed orator and politician Daniel Webster to seek to free him from his deal with the Devil.

When the Devil comes to collect the farmer’s soul, Webster protests that no American can be in the service of “a foreign prince”, an ironic statement considering the nature of Trump’s Impeachment. The Devil argues he merits to be considered an American because of his presence at incidents of injustice throughout our nation’s history. But since the Devil admits he is far older than our nation, reason dictates he was not born in our country and cannot be an American.

Webster demands for his client a trial by an American jury and an American judge. But it’s generally known one cannot rely on the good intentions of Satan, and although he agrees to a jury trial, the Devil provides a jury of men with Hell-darkened hearts and as judge, Justice John Hathorne of the Salem witch trials.

Rep. Adam Schiff faces a jury problem similar to the fictional jury concerns of Daniel Webster.

I am not suggesting that all GOP senators have hell-darkened hearts, although there can be some debate on the issue. But Webster realized that the fictional core problem he faced was how to appeal to the better selves of jurors immersed in hatred, violence and fear which hell seeks to oppose upon mankind. Rather than permit himself to fall prey to the anger of injustice in his arguments, Webster spoke to the jurors calmly of the good pleasures of being human. He spoke of “the freshness of a fine morning when you’re young, and the taste of food when you’re hungry.”

Webster talked to the jurors about our nation. He spoke of freedom and the “sadness” of life without it. Webster did not ignore the failings of America. Webster “admitted all the wrong that had ever been done. But he showed, out of the wrong and the right, the sufferings and the starvations, something new had come.”

America was the something new, men and women in pursuit of freedom and happiness. By enabling jurors to rekindle what it means in pure spirit to be Americans, they choose to allow the New Hampshire farmer to retain his soul.

Adam Schiff, and the other House Managers, have effectively presented the available evidence to the Senate jurors. But in Schiff’s final presentation on January 24 he spoke powerfully and emotionally, seeking to convince the hearts of the GOP senators to be impartial and to recognize that in America “Right Matters”. Schiff argued it is not right for Trump’s to consistently place himself above our laws, and to choose his benefit over that of the American People. Such anti-American behavior merits his conviction and removal from office.

I do not know if Donald Trump is familiar with “The Devil and Daniel Webster.” It does not appear Donald Trump has much of an understanding of the history of America. I would suggest what Trump would find most interesting from Benet’s short story is the claim that the chickens raised by Daniel Webster “were all white meat down through the drumsticks.”

But for individuals with a strong understanding of the history of our nation, such as Adam Schiff, they understand the clear and present danger of a President of the United States who considers himself or herself above the law. The desire of a President to become a monarch is a grave threat to our nation, especially when the GOP majority Senate appears committed to be complicit in this effort.

May the spirit and ideals of our nation guide Adam Schiff and the House Managers in awakening the hearts of GOP senators to remember what it means to be an American.

-end-

(Please share freely. This essay may be reproduced by any publication in pursuit of protecting the Constitution of the United States of America, and in defense against those who would weaken democracy)

 By Andy Leheny

(I used to imagine what it would be like to be a father. This story was written for our son-to-be who would later bless our lives when I was 48 and Becky was 46. Its message is important to me and I am especially grateful for my faith’s guidance in finding the words which conclude The Christmas Store. If you believe in its message, please share it)

      

It was Christmas Eve and he was where he wished to be most.  Seated next to his seven-year-old son as he lay in bed.

     “So why would you like to hear a story on Christmas Eve,” asked the father?  “I would think your mind would be wrapped up with what Santa is going to bring you.”

      The father chuckled at his son’s response.

      “Oh, you can’t stop thinking about Santa and that’s why you can’t fall asleep,” his father replied.  “I seem to recall a few Christmas Eves like that when I was your age.”

      His Dad paused.

      “What….you can’t imagine me as a little boy.  That must seem pretty impossible, but it is true.  Daddy was a young guy like yourself and used to look forward to Christmas just as much….but Christmas was a lot different then.”

       “How was it different? Well, perhaps that is a story I can tell you.”

       The father leaned over his son and adjusted the blanket to the boy’s shoulders.  He then sat back in his chair and closed his eyes for just a moment.

        “Do you remember,” his father said, opening his eyes, “when last week your mother and I took you to the big shopping mall?  Remember the toys and the giant decorations in front of the stores?  There were hundreds of boys and girls just like you, telling their parents what they hoped Santa would bring them for Christmas.

“Those stores sure had plenty of toys didn’t they?”

         “What’s that?  You like presents.  That’s understandable because I certainly liked presents when I was your age, too.  And guess what, I still do.

          The father gently patted his son’s right hand.

         “It’s alright to be excited about Christmas.  In fact, the story I want to tell you is about something which happened to me one Christmas….It happened when I was seven-years-old too.

         “Did you know back when I was a boy there weren’t as many malls?  In fact, back when my father….your grandfather… was little, there weren’t malls at all.  There were only small shops, like the ones here in Ligonier, and they sold wonderful things for children also.

         “But back when I was seven my own grandfather…..my Dad’s father….was still alive and he took me and my own Mom and Dad on a very special trip a few days before Christmas. 

            “Grandpa took us to downtown Pittsburgh.”

            His Dad returned to his chair beside the bed.

            “Back when my Grandpa was a boy the closest thing to being a mall were in big cities like Pittsburgh.”

            “They had places called department stores and they’re still in some big cities today, too.  Your Mom and I will have to take you to one someday. They’re like other stores but instead of being all on one floor, some department stores have 10 or more floors, one on top of another.  

             “My Grandpa took me to a big department store in Pittsburgh.”

             “During our drive your Grandfather told me more about department stores. About how they had one floor for clothes and another for pots and pans.  He said there was a floor for televisions and for what we used to call record players. He said there was even a floor for toys and games.”

              His son asked a question.

            “Did I like being there?

             “Actually, I loved being there.  I still remember walking in the main door with my parents and Grandpa and I just couldn’t believe how big it was inside.  There were glass counters everywhere, and behind each one was a man selling shirts, or a woman selling perfume, and it seemed like a 1,000 other things.

             “Grandpa told me the department store had nine more floors like this and at first I thought he was teasing me.  But Grandpa took me by the hand and we walked with my Mom and Dad across that huge first floor over to a metal door with buttons next to it.

             “You know what it was, don’t you?

             “Well, you’re right.  It was an elevator, but you see, I had never been on an elevator before.   I remember the elevator door opening and then walking inside with my parents and Grandpa.  As the door closed, I held onto Grandpa’s hand a good bit tighter than before.

           “But after it started going up, I began to think of it as something like a circus ride, where I always had fun.  Then Grandpa said I would like where they were taking me.

           “Then the elevator stopped and its door opened.  We walked out of the elevator.”

            The boy’s father paused in his story.

            “I needed to stop for a moment son, because you see, I had never seen anything like this before.

            “It was a room which to me seemed the size of a football field.  It was a room decorated all over with tinsel and Christmas lights.  Throughout the room there were at least six real Christmas trees, and from the ceiling hung green wreaths that seemed as high as the sky.

           “But what was most amazing to me is the room was full of toys.  I couldn’t imagine that even Santa’s workshop could have that many toys in it.  They were model rockets and airplanes. There were baseball gloves and bats.  There were games and puzzles, bicycles and stuffed animals, and wind-up toys that could walk and even talk.”

          “Maybe a hundred times I asked my Mom and Dad to tell Santa to please….please bring this or that particular toy.  But all they said was we’ll have to see.

          “After we looked around the whole floor my grandfather asked me to go on a walk with him.  He said we would meet my Mom and Dad a little later.”

          “Oh you bet I didn’t want to go?  You would be right, but I loved my grandfather and somehow I knew our adventure in the big city would still go on awhile more.

          “So my grandfather took me by the hand and we went down the elevator. We got out on the main floor but Grandpa took me in a different direction than from where we came in.  I was fascinated again by all the glass cases as we walked. One glass counter had inside it more candy than I had ever seen in one place before…there were candy canes, malted milk balls, big chunks of chocolate, and right next to that counter was another one…with trays and trays of different types of nuts, going round and round under a lamp.

     “Then, before I knew it, we went outside the store and were on a different street than the one where we had entered.  Grandpa told me he wanted to take me to another store,one he thought I would like very much.

     “So what do you think of my adventure so far?

      “It certainly was a great deal different than living in a small town.  And what’s more,you can’t imagine what it was like outside the department store.  There were so many people crowded on the sidewalk and they all seemed to be in such a hurry.  I held my Grandpa’s hand tight and walked real close to him so the people wouldn’t bump into me.

      “I guess we walked about two or three blocks when we came to the Christmas store.

      “No, it wasn’t a store with a bunch of toys and games….but be patient and let me tell you what happened.     As I said, we came up to a store, but it wasn’t a big building with many floors.  It was just a small shop. But on the outside of the shop there was a painting of The Three Wise Men.  You remember them from Sunday School, don’t you?”

      “Yes, you are right.  They were the three kings who brought presents to the baby Jesus when He was born.

      “Then Grandpa took me into the store and all around the small shop were wonderful Nativity scenes of all different sizes.  You understand what a Nativity scene is, don’t you?  I guess you could say it’s a model of when Jesus was born, with the Wise Men, Mary and Joseph, and perhaps with a few of the stable animals, all looking down on Him in His manger.

       “I had seen Nativity scenes before, but few were as nice as the ones in this shop.  Even at my age I could see these had taken a lot of time and love to make.

       “Grandpa told the owner of the store we wanted to look at the wonderful Nativity scenes.  My grandfather took me from scene to scene….some were simple, but beautiful scenes, carved from the finest wood; and other scenes which seemed to be of statues of different sizes.  

         As we walked, Grandpa told me he believed more and more people seem to have forgotten what Christmas was really about.  He said instead of remembering Jesus, people were putting plastic reindeer and snowmen on their porches, or in their yards.

       “Then we stopped by a small nativity made of wood.  I could tell whoever made it had done so with a great deal of love.

       “Grandpa told me he was afraid many children do forget what Christmas is about.They spend all their time thinking about the presents they’ll receive when really the whole point of Christmas is letting the people you love know that you love them.

       “You see, my Grandfather said at Christmas we celebrate that God told us He loved us by allowing His son, Jesus, to be born as a man.  So each Christmas we should tell God we love Him too, and the best way we can do that is by loving one another on Earth. 

        “There are some religions in the world which do not understand Jesus as we do,but everyone agrees His message of love is true.  We should love one another.”

        “It was then Grandpa bought me a wonderful present. Just a second son and I’ll show you.”

        The boy’s father reached into the pocket of his robe and pulled out a small cardboard box, which seemed very old.  He opened it and took into his hands a small nativity scene for his son to see. The young boy understood it was beautiful and quite special.

       “This is the very same miniature nativity scene we had been looking at when my grandfather told me about Christmas.  He said to him that small shop would always be The Christmas Store to him.

       “Over the years it has been this nativity scene…which has been the Christmas gift that has meant the most to me. 

       “And now young man, I want to give it to you.”

       The father placed the fragile nativity scene gently upon the nightstand next to his son’s bed.

       “My Grandpa didn’t want me to forget what Christmas really means, and I don’t want you to forget either.  You will take care of this, won’t you?”

       “Yes, I know you will.”

        “Now, it’s time for you to get some sleep.  Tomorrow will be here before you know it.  Here let me kiss you goodnight.”

        The father stood up, then bent over and gently kissed his son on his forehead.  He walked to his son’s bedroom door but stopped just when he was about to turn off the light.

    “Yes, son,” he said, turning at his son’s voice and then switching off the light.

    “I love you too.

       (A few hours later he peeked into his son’s room and found him sleeping calmly.  He quietly walked to the room’s window and stared out at the cold, winter evening, remembering the excitement of childhood Christmases decades ago.

        He watched the snow fall, like miniature feathers to the earth, a cool and fragile blanket.  It embraced his home, and the entire town, warming all, like the strong arms of a Father offering safety.)

                                                        -end-

By Andrew Leheny

During his campaign for President, Donald Trump bragged he could “stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody” without losing “any voters.”

As the House of Representatives prepares to vote today on two Articles of Impeachment, it appears Trump, not known for a high degree of honesty, has been amazingly accurate with his Fifth Avenue observation. The Republican members of Congress are dramatically willing to make Trump’s pre-election prediction become a reality, at least in a non-fatal way. Based on GOP words and behavior during the Impeachment hearings, Republican members of Congress appear united in wanting to clearing Trump of Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Justice, despite clear evidence and witness testimony.

GOP House members have refused to condemn Trump interaction with Ukraine to secure their investigation of debunked theories concerning the 2016 election and similarly discredited claims about former Vice-President Joe Biden and his son.

During public testimony the American Public learned from Trump’s own words how pressure was placed upon Ukraine to begin an investigation of the Bidens, and to give credence to a discredited theory that Ukraine had interfered in the 2016 election. As a leverage to secure Ukraine’s participation, Trump delayed nearly $400 million in Congressional approved funds for the nation, and would not confirm a meeting between Trump and Ukraine’s new President.

Although most legal scholars and former government officials of both political parties agree on the inappropriateness, or even illegality of Trump’s actions and comments, current GOP House members remain in full public support of Trump. President Trump has attacked the Whistle Blower who first alerted the Department of Justice of concerns about the July 25 phone call between Trump and President Zelensky. Trump would further attack any witness who declared his phone call with Zelenky was not “perfect.”

Impeachment Article I, Abuse of Power, ties Trump’s seeking to use a foreign nation for his own political benefit with a pattern of such behavior by Trump. Although Trump’s intent regarding Article I will be debated, the strength of Article II offers no wiggle room in reference in terms of Trump guilt versus innocence. It is impossible, if a member of Congress is to follow his or her Oath, to clear Trump of Obstruction of Justice.

President Trump refused to honor all subpoenas from the House. He ordered cabinet members and aides not to testify voluntarily and not to obey subpoenas as well. No US President has so blatantly ignored our nation’s laws.

But if one acts in good faith, and adheres to both their Oath of Office, and Oath as juror, it is not possible to clear Donald Trump, especially on Article II. We, the American People , witnessed Trump state publicly he would not obey any subpoena. He stated both the Mueller and House investigations were “shams” and “witch hunts.” But the United States Constitution, and specifically its fundamental creation of a Balance of Power between the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches, does not permit the President alone to make such a determination. The President must recognize the shared authority of our nation as designed by the Founders.

By permitting Trump to decide what laws he will or will not respect. GOP members of Congress are allowing Trump to distort the Office of President from that of Chief Citizen to one of an elected King. It is critical each member of Congress recognize the peril of Trump continuing to attack our Constitution in this matter. Only by impeaching and convicting Trump will the sacred Balance of Power of the United States of America be maintained.

In terms of a relatively recent example, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was cleared six times of any wrong-doing regarding the Benghazi tragedy. Yet. House Republicans conducted a seventh series of hearing. Though she ultimately would be cleared once again, Secretary Clinton honored her subpoena and testified for over 11 hours. Nearly two decades earlier, then President Bill Clinton, was impeached for lying about a personal affair. Yet, he would testify under Oath, and even provide a blood sample, as requested by the GOP-led Starr investigation.

Neither Bill and Hillary Clinton sought to destroy our nation’s Balance of Powers. Yet today’s Republication Party would endanger our democracy by putting political party over country.

No man or woman is above the Law.

The House must vote to Impeach. The Senate must vote to convict, especially in regards to Obstruction of Congress. Just as Trump bragged he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue, the words and actions of GOP Congress Members indicate they are willing to ignore Trump’s assaults on our Constitution. Far too many Americans have died so that our Constitution will not die.

Evidence, and the impact of corruption within the life of Donald Trump, does not demonstrate a man who seeks to battle corruption. Instead, his is a history of an individual who has embraced corruption over decades for his own personal gain.

No President is above the Law.

For any member of the House to vote to clear Donald Trump; if any Senator votes not to convict, they are not finding a president innocent.

Instead they are striking a blow to the very heart of our Constitution.

They are not saving a presidency. They are crowning a king.