LETTERS: We Can Do Better to Protect Democracy
July 15, 2024 Letters to the Editor. By Charles Stafford / John Roberts when questioned by Senator Leahy (Dem. Of VT) in 2005 at Roberts’ Supreme Court confirmation hearing was asked, “is the president above the LAW?” Roberts said, “No one is above the law under our system and that includes the president. The president is fully bound by the law, the constitution, and statutes.” (Sept. 2005). Roberts in 2005 would have been consistent with the thinking of the founders of our country. The first grievance against King George III of Britain and his British Governors in America was the King’s failure to accept laws passed by the 13 colonies. A long list of grievances were listed in our Declaration of Independence ending with sentence: “A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.” A Tyrant in the modern English usage of the word, is an absolute ruler who is unrestrained by law. It seems in 2005 Roberts was aware of the history as we read in his answer to Senator Leahy. But on July 1, 2024 the Roberts’ decision on immunity was aligning himself closer to a position of a Tyrant.