When will it stop? The endless refrain by politicians of all stripes, by newscasters, editorialists and even ordinary citizens and constituents across the social and political spectrum — “No one is above the law.” Another trite exhortation: “accountability.” Who isn’t tired of hearing these two axioms, over and over again? They are overused, misunderstood, misconstrued, and a whimsical use of words to define a national conundrum of profound acts and actions without answerability, responsibility, liability or culpability.
When will someone come right out and tell us the truth: No one is above the law, except those who are? We see it. We hear it. We live with it, every day. If you have the familial, political or social “connections,” the financial wherewithal and the audacity to spit in the eye of convention and of accepted principles, you become one of the privileged who are deemed to be above the law, and beyond the reach of consequence or punishment.
We have unconsciously created a class of citizenry in this nation, who feel and act with impunity, as an entitlement because of their familial pedigree, position, celebrity, wealth, or all of the above. Even ordinary individuals, who possess none of the above, but who seek elected office, suddenly find themselves in a magnified world, where their every word and action is amplified and glorified, jettisoning them from the ordinary ranks to the celebrity line, and possibly to power and prestige never imagined. Quickly, and instinctively, they shed their naïveté and innocence for the chance to climb the ladder of success, regardless of whom or what they have to step on to reach the top. All of a sudden, politics shreds principles, crushes empathy and demolishes all semblance of veracity and integrity, turning the once ordinary, simple, commonsense person running for office into an unrecognizable version of what used to be.
In the end voters are left to choose not who is best qualified to represent them or lead them, but who gave the best performance, who was more “believable,” even though voters know that once in office their vote and support are meaningless, worthless. For once in office, elected politicians feel the surge of power and prominence, and know that money and wealth will shortly follow. And so, they cut the umbilical cord to the very people who entrusted their hearts, their souls, their very lives and livelihoods to a stranger who promised them their dreams, their hopes.
During this process of selection, election and final transformation, the canonization of red or blue-capped men in Brooks Brothers or Giorgio Armani suits, and women in Donna Karan or Anne Klein ensembles, assemble in the chambers of our democracy and recite an oath of allegiance and fidelity that no longer has meaning, purpose or substance. An exercise once deemed profound and meaningful, now but a nuisance and distraction from the business of obstruction, distraction, intimidation, deceit, and of course, raising money for reelection, to begin the process all over again.
And after all of this — the money, campaigning, mudslinging, manipulation, exploitation, misdirection and denigration, all that politicians, voters and non-voting bystanders come away with is the reinforced certainty that no one is above the law — except those who are. And that list of exceptions grows longer and stronger with each state and federal election, where anything goes, except truth, fidelity and acknowledgment of our shared responsibility and accountability to each other, to our children, and to generations to come.
That was our Founding Fathers’ dream. That was once our dream, when democracy truly was not a four-letter word (MAGA), tossed around without respect or feeling for what it means to so many, and what it meant to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to ensure its survival and its reality.
Democracy is not a slogan. It is not a rallying cry to enflame hatred and division. It is not a one-man or one-group venture or endeavor. Democracy is a generational amalgamation of dreams, of hopes, of inspiration and motivation that touches every heart, every soul, every mind. And it is when this comes together that the sky is filled with the rainbow of our coalition and our commitment to ensure the sanctity of our inalienable rights, of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
When will it stop — the endless refrain by politicians, newscasters, editorialists and even by ordinary citizens, that “No one is above the law”? When will we see it, hear it, feel it, and not just be told about how our democracy should work? We the People are the “moving parts” of our democracy. We have to work together as one fine-tuned national body to ensure that no one is above the law, and that there are no exceptions, period.
Politicians, new and old, should be on notice. No more free rides. Do your jobs. Take your oaths seriously. Represent and lead. Or, simply move out of the away, and make room for patriots who understand our heritage, our legacy and our destiny, and share the dreams and hopes of those they represent.
Al Garcia lives in San Juan.
