Treason. A definition

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6 January 2021, when the Commander-in-Chief declared war on his own people. Still unbelievable. Another country maybe, but not the U.S.A. It did.

Below is a throw back blog 10 July 2024.

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Colorado is one of the 50 U.S. states. It’s not always in the news like New York but, that changed with Donald Trump and his attempt to be president again.

Colorado Republicans wanted to put him on the ballot. Some objected and took the matter to court. All lower courts ruled that he could not be on the presidential ballot because he participated in the 6 January 2021 insurrection. The Colorado Supreme Court agreed.

Donald Trump took the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court, which said only Congress can decide matters concerning the insurrection clause in the Constitution, not states. The clause did not mention presidents because, nobody thought that somewhere in the future, a president would lose the 2020 election, then rain violence on the Capitol and try to abduct the U.S. Vice President in the guise of ‘rescuing’ him from mobs he - Donald Trump - incubated.

How about treason? Can someone charged and convicted of treason, run for president? He cannot. Donald Trump was not charged with treason. This is how the Constitution defines it.

Article 111, Section 3

“Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or in confession in open court.”

Interpretation. I underlined two words in this definition because it can mean all states individually, not a solid entity, the country. The founding fathers could have written, ‘levying war against it.’ There was a reason, you argue. It was a certain time, prompted by certain circumstances. My interpretation or yours does not matter. What matters is the U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation and the gleam in Trump’s eyes whenever he announces that he will take the matter to the Supreme Court.

Nonqaba waka Msimang

Blogger Without Borders 

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