Standing up for what is right takes courage

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By Donna Steele

“Mr. Sheik, I’m going to pray for you,” said my intrepid missionary friend who, in addition to praying for the enemy, sought them out in Iraq.

The secret police were mingling with refugees who came for medical care my friend provided; he also offered a one-way ticket to heaven.

Some would call Dr. David Wilson brave, others fool-hardy, but he is answering his calling. And sometimes, it requires him to put his neck out.

Will Indiana’s Congressional Representatives, especially District 6 Luke Messer, and Sen. Todd Young, put their neck out on behalf of democracy? Or will they put party politics above protecting the U.S against a constitutional crisis? Against the actions of President Trump, who is bent on disrupting the investigation into his campaign and Russian connections?

With the firing of James Comey from the FBI, the president made his administration less trustworthy than the day before. Yet news anchor Dan Spehler suggests it’s the FBI that needs an image make-over. A tweet he posted says, “I’m working to learn the facts behind (the) decision but I hope new leadership @ the FBI will help restore Americans’ confidence”.

Is it the FBI that is under investigation? No, it is President Trump and his campaign, advisers and associates.

This is Watergate in the making, and I hope our representatives make the hard decision to do the right thing and call for enhanced investigations and fully fund them.

As a high-school teacher/librarian, I asked my students questions about civil disobedience: Was it ever good to break custom, such as a sheik openly praying to the Christian God in a part of the world that follows Allah? Today, I could have asked, “Would you be strong enough to stand up to a U.S. President that tramples the Constitution and norms of his office?”

Doing so means going against the grain, making others uncomfortable and potentially causing one’s career or even one’s self harm. Did my students have the character to speak truth to power? Did they have the strength to persevere?

These are the questions we must ask of our representatives, and the people of Indiana must demand answers. According to these answers, we will speak truth to our elected officials come Election Day.

There is a reason President Trump hasn’t released his financials; he has something to hide.

“I have stated repeatedly that we have to follow the money if we are going to get to the bottom of how Russia has attacked our democracy,” Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden said May 10.

There is a reason James Comey was fired from the FBI: He asked for additional funding for the Russian investigation.

If Messer, Young and their cronies work up the froth over this scandal and power grab to equal their outrage over a private email server used by Hillary Clinton, justice may be served. Let’s hope they have the courage, even if it means “locking him up.”

Donna Steele of Greenfield is a member of a variety of community organizations aimed at bettering the city, including Greenfield Main Street and the Greenfield Coalition. Send comments to [email protected].