LETTER: The shaming of the president, a return to the Scarlet Letter

Published 5:22 pm Thursday, April 13, 2023

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To the Editor:

I write this as I shiver to think that this nation, once so good and prosperous, abiding by God’s principles for a good life, has sunk to the depravity that we have witnessed today. Today shall be remembered as more infamous than Dec. 7th, 1941. Today is the FIRST time in history that a former President of the United States has been subjected to such feckless and political idiocy as what we witnessed today in the City of New York. A Socialist backed Prosecuting Attorney, Alvin Bragg, who ran on a platform of ‘I will get Trump”, has been successful in dragging Donald J. Trump, one of America’s most successful Presidents, into a morass of political demagoguery. WE, the American people should be ashamed, ourselves, for allowing this to take place.

As a reminder to those of you who have studied history, SHAMING was a very popular way that early colonialists tried to dishonor or damage the character of someone they decided to dislike.

Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote a book that has become a classic. It was entitled “The Scarlet Letter.” In his book, the primary character, Hester Prynne had committed the unforgivable sin of bearing a child out of wedlock. Her punishment was that she be required to display a large scarlet letter “A” on her bosom. Today you would think that we had become a better society than that, but look at today’s procedure in New York. They have no legitimate charges against this man, but they want to shame him and attempt to destroy his character. Where is the outcry from the Department of Justice, the President of the United States, and others in power? Is there no longer any conscience in our leadership?

Remember the movie, “The Crucible”? In this movie some young women, in 1692 Salem, Massachusetts, conjuring up love potions to catch young men, were forced to tell lies that Satan had forced them to participate in the Rites and are forced to tell the names of those involved. Thrown into the mix were greedy preachers, major landowners trying to get the land of others, and one young woman, infatuated with a married man. She was trying to get rid of his innocent wife. She accused the man of being involved in witchcraft. He was given the opportunity to admit his guilt and recant, or repent. He was required to sign a document admitting guilt in order to be pardoned. He refused to sign the document as he was innocent of the charge. They asked him,” Why won’t you sign?” He replied, “Because it is my name, it is the only one I have.” He was hanged.

Today we have witnessed the return to the past and its demonic practices. I am ashamed.

J. Edward Howell Jr.

Franklin