Tyranny is defined in the Merriam Webster Dictionary as:  cruel and unfair treatment by people with power over others; a government in which all power belongs to one person.  Escaping the tyranny of a monarch was the reason  America was founded.  Our Declaration of Independence from another country, England, states: “That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”  Our forefathers fought a war to earn  America ‘s freedom from tyranny.

Impeachment

Our Founding Fathers wanted to be sure that  America would remain the country of free people.  To that end, they provided a legal, peaceful method within our Constitution to strip an internal tyrant of power.  It is the tool of Impeachment defined in the Constitution, Article II, Section 4:  “The President, Vice President and all Civil Officers of the  United States , shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”  The House of Representatives issues the impeachment charges and the Senate conducts the trial.

The US Constitution. Photo: National Archives of the United States

Two American Presidents have been impeached.  Andrew Johnson, the 17th President, was impeached on grounds of disregarding the Tenure of Office Act of 1867.  It prohibited a President from dismissing office holders without the Senate’s approval.  He was impeached by the House of Representatives for trying to throw Edwin Stanton, the Secretary of War, out of office.  The Senate was one vote short of the two-thirds majority needed to convict him and he was acquitted  May 26, 1868 .  Political maneuvering is cited as the reason there was not a conviction.

William J. Clinton, the 42nd President, was the second impeached.  He was charged with four crimes and impeached in the House of Representatives on two of those, grand jury perjury and obstruction of justice.  Again, the Senate failed to secure the two-thirds majority needed to convict and he was acquitted  February 12, 1999 . Again, political maneuvering is cited as the reason there was not a conviction.

Also, Richard Nixon, the 37th President, had three articles of impeachment issued by the House of Representatives on  July 20, 1974 .  Nixon resigned his office on  August 9, 1974 , before the House voted to impeach him.

In all three instances, the Constitution did its job.  What the Founding Fathers did not foresee was that people elected to represent the citizens would thwart our country’s guiding document, the Constitution, for personal or party gains.   America has evolved into two parties, the Democrats and the Republicans.  For too many of those elected to our Congress, the desire to keep their individual power and to maintain their party’s control over spending our tax dollars is more important than ensuring that the Constitution is enforced.

Another safeguard in the Constitution to protect us against tyranny is the assignment of specific powers to three separate branches of the Federal Government, the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches.  No branch may infringe on the powers of the others.  By not taking the appropriate action, impeaching Obama, the Congress has subjected us to having a Tyrant, not a President, heading the Executive branch of the Federal government.

Obama’s tyranny

In August, 2013, Business Daily listed several laws Obama has broken.  He chooses what laws do and don’t suit his needs and ignores the latter.  He is usurping the law-making power the Constitution gives solely to the Legislative branch of the Federal government, the Congress.

Obama circumvented the immigration law, deciding not to deport illegal immigrants under the age of 30.  He unilaterally has and continues to change Obamacare.  These are only two examples on a very long list.  After Congress enacts a bill and the President signs it, it is the law of the land.  It can not be changed arbitrarily. Changes are legal only when they are introduced and approved by the Congress as a revocation of or an amendment to the original law.

Business Daily also lists actions Obama has taken that usurp the power the Constitution gives only to the Judicial branch of the Federal government.  This tyrant ignores court decisions.  Re-imposing a moratorium on off-shore drilling after the courts struck down his original moratorium and refusing to remove his appointees to the National Labor Relations Board after those appointments were ruled unconstitutional are only two examples of his illegal actions.

It is time for Congress to follow the rules; it must act and do what the Constitution demands.  Breaking laws and usurping power are not allowable actions for any President.  It is time to impeach and to try the forty-fourth President, Barack Obama.  This tyrant must be stopped in order to preserve  America as it was intended to be, a country of free people without a tyrant or a central power controlling her citizens.

This time, politics can not be allowed to over-ride the Constitution.  Those in Congress who value their individual power and their party’s control over spending our tax dollars more than working for our best interests must be stopped.  Use your voice, your vote, your power as citizens.  Demand that Congress represent our interests by impeaching and convicting the tyrant in the Executive Branch.  Save  America from Obama by stripping him of his office.  Return control of  America to her citizens.

Unfortunately, Americans face an intentional lack of education in our public-school system to teach our youth how  America is governed and their role and responsibility as citizens.  So, citizens must educate themselves.  Read the Constitution.  It is readily available on line or in many libraries.  Before you vote again, prepare to cast an informed vote.  Know what candidates have achieved and what their actions demonstrate about their belief in protecting our individual rights and freedoms.  Research candidates yourself; make your own decisions.  Elect those who will live by their job description as it is defined in our Constitution.  That job is to represent us.

Kathleen Dynan

Cape May, New Jersey

Reprinted from Scanned Retina.