章節 91: Jefferson Under Siege
Philadelphia, the United States of America
September 14th, 1789
President Thomas Jefferson's hands shook as he started his fifth attempt at writing a letter to Samuel. After several minutes, his usual savviness with words failed him, and he was forced to toss aside the parchment he was writing on.
He sighed and looked out the window of the Executive Office. Thankfully, his office faced the "backyard" of the Presidential Mansion, so there were no angry rioters or broken windows in his line of sight. It had been two days since the riots had begun across the nation, and the government could barely hold the rioters in line. Thankfully, President Kim's formation of the police forces in each state allowed the federal and state governments to retain a semblance of control. However, they could only hold out for so long and arrest so many people until they collapsed. He needed to act decisively and quickly, as he was the leader of the government and the nation.
But where did he even start? How could he manage such a controversial and tense issue without provoking the wrath of various interest groups? His position on the Supreme Court's issue was firm; he agreed with the Supreme Court. The government had no right to lord over individuals and invade their privacy in the name of "the law." Even before Samuel was sent to the past, he was against the death penalty for homosexuals and pushed for a more "moderate" approach to sodomy (castration). However, if he openly supported the Supreme Court, it would cause two significant problems. At least, in his view.
The first problem was that he believed in separating the three branches. If he supported the Supreme Court's decision openly, it would make it seem like he had an agenda and possibly influenced the vote. The ruling was very close, a 5-4 decision. If he announced that he agreed with the Supreme Court's decision, then it was possible that the rioters would be inflamed even further and refuse to back down.
The second problem was the fact that the case was about sodomy. Most of the nation was Christian, and while Jefferson himself was a diest Christian, he knew that the majority of the nation saw this ruling as a significant breach of their religious beliefs and moral beliefs. Hell, if what Samuel told him was correct, then the nation would still be partially against sodomy in the 21st century due to many religious people being against it (even after 200 years of social progress and development).
Which was why he considered writing to Samuel for help. He knew that in the other history, he was considered a good president, perhaps even a great one. But he never faced such a major trial by fire in the other history. It was possible that he could have handled this crisis if he had just a bit more experience, but his experience was reading the works of his "other" self and serving in a Cabinet position (which was inadequate to deal with the current situation). But whenever he tried to finish his letter to Samuel, he could not finish it. He didn't know if it was his pride or was due to his fears, but for the past two days, he was unable to finish a single paragraph of writing.
"I can not solely rely on him," Jefferson whispered, talking to himself to ease his anxiety and worries, "The people elected me and placed their faith in my policies and leadership."
Suddenly, he had a rush of inspiration while thinking about Samuel and the stories from the future. The second president of the United States grabbed his trusty ballpoint pen (a gift from Samuel) and scribbled on a new piece of parchment.
He had a speech to write, a speech that would hopefully subdue the unrest and reunify the nation from the unruly discourse it was facing.
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"I do not support sodomy, nor will I ever. However, the people of the United States must remember the founding values of our nation: equality, liberty, and justice. Equality, in that no race, religion, or personal creed is favored over others. Liberty, in that individuals, may choose their own beliefs without fear of repression from the government and society. Justice, in that no bias or favoritism is shown when carrying out the law. While many of you may disagree with the Supreme Court ruling, I believe that the case was carried out in the fairest manner possible. The Supreme Court did not view the case through a religious lens but through the lens of the highest law of the land, the Constitution.
Our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions more than our opinions in physics or geometry. I am not disregarding those with a strong religious belief, as that is admirable in its own right. However, the moment we allow our religious beliefs to dictate our politics and our government, it will inevitably lead to a society where we will sacrifice our sacred liberties in the name of morality and religion...
But even if we were to disregard the Constitution and look at the commandants given to the world by Christ, did he not say that the greatest commandant, after loving God with all your heart, was to love your neighbors as you love yourself? There are no doubt that there are teachings against sodomy in the Bible, but it is imperative to avoid selectively choosing certain teachings while ignoring one of the greatest commandants of all. You do not need to approve of those that partake in sodomy. However, as Christ said and did, it is better to guide them and lead them away from their "misdeeds" rather than to execute them without hesitation.
As a nation and as a people, we fought a tyrannical government that attempted to intrude in our daily lives in the name of public order. It was just over a decade ago where British troops were forcibly entering the people's homes and occupying them to "safeguard us." One of many grievances led us to revolt and establish a new nation where the government is ruled by the people and liberties are upheld to the highest standards. Yet, today, the people are demanding that the government be allowed to interfere freely in the private lives of citizens and knock down their house doors to uphold a law that can only be enforced through intrusion. Have we forgotten the spirit of our revolutionary cause? Why did the colonies band together to fight tyranny, only to invite tyranny back just several years later?
There are ways to compromise. Perhaps the state governments can allow these acts to be allowed behind closed doors and intrusions only enacted through arrest warrants through the courts. But we must be vigilant and remain on guard to prevent the overreach of governmental powers. The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg. The same can be said for the laws against sodomy..."
-President Thomas Jefferson in his "Call for Unity" speech in front of the Philadelphia rioters on September 15th of 1789
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