The Bellamy Brothers’ song “Old Hippie” describes a man in transition, a veteran who is facing an uncertain future as the times around him change. He knows he needs to adjust to a new way of life but he’s having a hard time figuring out exactly how to make that happen.
In many ways, I feel like the protagonist of that song. I see things changing, almost daily, around me and I’m not sure what to do. I grew up in a world that I thought valued honesty and integrity, where the rule of law won the day.
As I sat in my chair on Tuesday, July 5, 2016, with my computer in my lap, I had to face the cold, hard fact that the world no longer holds those values in high regard. Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State and presumptive Democratic nominee for President of the United States, set up an illegal email server designed to circumvent the State Department’s network then repeatedly lied both about what she did and her intentions. After a lengthy and costly FBI investigation, one in which the Bureau seemed committed to from the very beginning, FBI Director James Comey announced that the FBI would not prosecute Clinton for her actions in this case.
Director Comey made a lengthy and at times scathing statement Tuesday, one in which he acknowledged that Clinton had indeed broken the law. However, he said the FBI did not find that Clinton willfully and intentionally mishandled classified information, or that she did so with vast quantities of information, or that she acted in such a way that was disloyal to the United States.
In short, Comey’s statement implies that Clinton broke the law because she was too ignorant to know otherwise. She set up a private email server, which is illegal, but she didn’t know any better. There is no proof that she compromised the security of the United States, but, as Comey himself stated, her actions probably resulted in U.S. secrets landing in the hands of our enemies.
Because the FBI cannot prove Clinton intended to jeopardize national security, said Comey, the FBI would not recommend that the Justice Department prosecute Clinton for use of the illegal server.
Clinton broke the law, lied about it, and will walk away scot free.
I am appalled – for several reasons. For one, I have always believed that the rule of law would win the day. You break the law, you suffer the consequences – particularly when dealing with the security of our nation at such high levels of government. I have held the FBI above reproach. It is the finest investigative agency in the world and its ability to get to the truth is unparalleled.
Its image, however, will be forever tarnished in my mind because of what happened Tuesday. Director Comey essentially laid out a damning case against Clinton, one that answered in the affirmative to all she was charged with, then, at the end, said he would not recommend that she be charged. In the process, Director Comey betrayed the rule of law, the American people, and the very principles this country was founded upon.
While the FBI director’s comments stopped short of recommending prosecution, he did state that the FBI found that Clinton had done just about everything of which she was accused. The Democratic candidate for president, the likely winner in November, has been called a criminal by the director of the FBI.
That scathing rebuke aside, the other aspect of this case that angers me is the unwillingness of Clinton supporters to acknowledge the obvious flaws in their candidate of choice. The simple fact is that Clinton’s supporters – of which there are enough to likely put her in the White House – will not be the least bit troubled by what Comey said Tuesday. They will rejoice because she won’t be charged but they will fail to look at what is right in front of them – their candidate is dishonest, incompetent, and unfit to serve this country in any capacity, much less as president.
While I am staunchly a conservative, I will gladly point out and discuss the flaws that pervade Donald Trump’s character. I understand why Trump resonates with many voters but I do not agree with it. My reservations regarding Trump’s character run so deeply that I am not sure I can vote for him. If I were a Democrat, I would face the same dilemma.
Call me naïve, but I believe character matters. I believe honesty, integrity, and being guided by a moral compass are important. Hillary Clinton has none of the aforementioned qualities. She is a liar. She is a criminal. She is incompetent. She is careless. And she is unfit to be president. I see it. I will go so far as to state that I believe Director Comey sees it. But the majority of Democrat voters either don’t see it or aren’t bothered by it.
And that’s what troubles me more than anything. I see a nation in decline, one where strong moral character matters little. We are turning a blind eye to matters of morality, and without such a compass guiding us, we will surely lose our way – if we haven’t lost it already.
As time moves on, we are supposed to adapt and adjust. We are told to let go of the old and embrace the new. I have tried to do that as I have gotten older. I cannot, however, embrace the direction in which our country is heading.