On August 29th and 30th of 2016, Donald J Trump tweeted twice, that president Obama could not take action against Syria, without first getting approval of Congress. Last night, president Trump did exactly what he said his predecessor could not. He ordered an air strike against Syria, without prior consent from Congress, or the United Nations. The question being raised is whether or not president Trump broke the law.
What lurks in the hearts of men
Earlier in the week, Syria dropped nerve gas on the most vulnerable of its citizens, women and children.
The world wonders why such a thing would thing would be done, but there does not always have to be a reason. The images on the news of mere babies, dead, dying and suffering were heart-wrenching, and it brought back a very painful memory for me.
When I grew up in Botetourt County, Va., we lived where the grass and brush on the other side of the road was government owned property. Once a year they sprayed pesticides, and we steered clear of the area for a few days. When I was 10, my 8-year-old brother was walking me to my piano lessons. We saw the chemical-bearing helicopter in the air, about 100 yards away. For reasons unknown, the helicopter lowered and began chasing us. We joined hands and ran as fast as we could.
When I looked up I could see the two men laughing.
I must have breathed in the pesticide, because for the rest of the day I had trouble breathing. My chest would hurt, and I would gasp for air. Looking back, I wonder why my grandmother did not report the incident or have me taken to the hospital. I shudder to think about those children struggling to breathe.
Why, I wonder, did those did men chase me, and my brother, and spray us with chemicals? What would motivate Syria to use nerve gas to kill innocent children? And what gave President Trump the right to take more lives? No one truly knows what lurks in the hearts of men.
How far does the president's authority extend?
The big question is, how far does the authority of the President of the United States extend?
Does Donald Trump have the ability to bypass Congress and the United Nations, and basically declare war on Syria? Was this action within his range of power, or did he act as a lone wolf? The war powers resolution of 1973 says he does not. It states that the president must always have the approval of congress, but in emergencies the president may act alone. So there seems to be a loophole that gave President Donald Trump the right to drop more than 60 bombs on Syria.
There is still the question of why he did not consult Congress or the UN. Had they said no, he could have used his executive power to order the strikes anyway. More than likely, the defeat of the American Health Care Act, and opposition to the Muslim ban irritated President Trump.
He was probably expecting opposition and found a way to simply do what he chose, without any interference. This should make the American people very concerned. A rogue Commander In Chief with a quick temper is a danger to the entire world. Our Commander in Chief had the power, but consider the manner in which he used it.