So let me get this straight, you’re voting for Hillary because Trump is going to kick out the Mexicans, repeal the 19th amendment and end the world in a nuclear winter? Uh-huh… Oh of course, how could I forget the devastation to minorities and the LGBT community?
Well, if that weren’t so outrageous you may have a leg to stand on. Unfortunately, you don’t have secret service to catch you like Hillary did, so let me just let you down easy before you make a fool of yourself.
The beautiful thing about our country is the system of checks and balances placed by our founders. Let’s start by going over what the president can actually do. The president has the power to veto bills from Congress, as well as recommend legislation. They and their cabinet also influence foreign policy, and the president can further influence domestic policy with executive orders. The president does not however, have the ability to declare war or create legislation, as both of these powers fall to Congress. Now let’s discuss how congress would prevent some of your fears from happening.
Trump wants to kick out the Mexicans. First of all, he only wants to deport illegal immigrants, all 11 million of them. How is he going to accomplish this? By throwing billions of dollars at the issue. Fortunately, all revenue bills must originate in the House, and then be approved by both the House and the Senate. Without funding, Trump can’t force anything with an executive order. But let’s say he’s found a way to get the funds, now to round up 11 million illegal immigrants and transport them to their home port. This would involve the kicking down of doors nationwide. This would be a very slow process as it would have to be police and ICE agents doing the work as the military couldn’t get involved. There is the possibility of National Guard involvement, but you can see how this becomes very convoluted and would require cooperation from both houses of congress, all fifty states, local authorities, and even down to the individual level. For all you anti-Hillary voters out there, this is about the same level of craziness that would have to occur should Hillary try to take all firearms away…but that is another blog.
What’s that? Oh of course it’s still possible, anything is. Even if the Judicial Branch doesn’t step in because of millions of 4th Amendment violations that would have to take place. Though I’ve seen the government try to set up a web page that couldn’t handle 11 million hits, I wouldn’t expect something this complex and expensive to happen any time soon. Or at all.
Now, repealing an Amendment has been done once to (thank goodness) end prohibition. This entailed the passage of the 21st Amendment which effectively repealed the 18th. Now if women are to lose their right to vote, we’d have to pass the 28th amendment to repeal the 19th . This would require one of two things: first option is to have both houses of congress pass the Amendment with two thirds majority, followed by approval by the president. Then three fourths of the states (38/50) would need to ratify it. Impossible. The second route is for two thirds of the states to call for a constitutional convention – never been done – and propose an Amendment which will then need to be ratified via the same process as if it had come from congress, only congress is bypassed altogether. Impossible(r). Your voting rights are safe ladies.
Trump is a volatile guy who certainly likes to go “nuclear” on his enemies, but even if he wanted to it’s highly unlikely he would get the opportunity to do so literally. The president doesn’t just carry around a briefcase with a button that can end the world. Instead, an aide carries a bag (the “football”) with several items including communication equipment, a book with strike options, a list of secure bunkers, and an index card (the “biscuit”) with the codes to identify the president. To authorize the use, he needs to order the deployment of the weapons which will be carried out by two military officers with two keys just like you’ve seen in movies. In theory, the president has no check on his ability to authorize the use of devastating force however, he needs a reason to do so. Today the most likely reason we would use nuclear force is if someone first used it against us. The president’s job is to determine if an incoming missile is in fact nuclear, and if retaliation in kind is what’s best. Under any other circumstances than preventing a nuke from hitting us, I believe you’d be hard pressed to find two military officers who are willing to start WWIII and plunge the world into nuclear winter. This is another check on the president known as the military. If you are in service to your country you swear an oath to defend her from enemies foreign and domestic and sure, a coup is drastic and I doubt it would happen but the same goes for someone losing their temper and deciding to end the world.
No, I haven’t forgotten about the minorities. They will be fine. There is no unilateral action the president can take to limit the freedom of a citizen of the United States. There is the check from both the Legislative and Judicial branches any such action would have to hurdle. IF something of that nature made it past all of the litigation that would entail, whatever crazy policy tailored against minorities would still have to be enacted at the state and local levels. As for the claim of the anti-LGBT, the bathrooms in Trump tower are transgender friendly as documented by Caitlyn Jenner. Trump has also been on record saying he believes it should be illegal for people to be fired for their sexual orientation as well as stating the need the same rights given to minorities in the Civil Rights Act.
I’m more interested (concerned) with why you vote for someone, not who you vote for. Don’t follow the scare tactics created by pundits and the media without first doing your own research. Are these scenarios possible? Certainly, as stated before, anything is. Are they likely? Hell no. If this brief blog about the obstacles to complete these tasks doesn’t satiate you, do your own research. What is most important is in the end you are in charge; you elect the president who appoints justices and signs laws into being, you elect the congressman who approve the justices and create the laws. Even if a candidate is as bad as the scare tactics imply, you still have the power to stop them in their tracks. Thanks Constitution.
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