When U.S. Senators raise their hand and take the oath of office ...
How does the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and a legal charge of 'Manslaughter Through Neglect' link to constitutional obligations of U.S. Senators Jeff Flake and John McCain?
When U.S. Senators raise their hand and take the oath of office that includes the pledge to "solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic ..." establishing a statutory commitment, one can reasonably expect that defending the Constitution includes all citizens and constituencies even though they may disagree with the senator's political views and ambitions.
Letters To and From My Senators Flake & McCain
62 letters sent to and 20 letters received from Arizona U.S. Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake in 2014 to 2018 - an astonishing historical documentation.
(c) Bernd Haber, 2018
Claim & Charge
I want to believe that writing these now published letters to both senators Jeff Flake and John McCain who represented my home state of Arizona and its residents in U.S. Congress made a difference in their decision making.
Written in a respectful way, I passionately presented my perspectives related to many social and political themes supported by facts and reasonable arguments.
Documenting my exchange of letters with U.S. senators - all written with the utmost respect for the person and the office of U.S. Senator - I present the case that politicians need to be held accountable, morally, politically and legally, for both their actions and inactions.
Especially legally for not doing anything or not enough to prevent further harm to their constituencies that they constitutionally represent while in office.
Contribution & Conclusion
Now after four years of exchanging letters with both senators from Arizona, as representative of any U.S. senator, I conclude that both might have failed to fulfill their legal obligation in such constitutional context.
I am proud of having written these letters, of having taken the time to comment on social and political developments in our country, and of letting my representatives in U.S. Congress know that there are voices out there to which an elected official in position of power should pay close attention.
I am proud of having contributed to history by documenting this now complete collection of letters because I felt a responsibility as citizen and as human being to offer them to the public.
Inspiration & Action
Reader feedback on Amazon (5.0 out of 5 stars):
"Made me think and get active"
"A surprisingly informative and well written analysis of the issues before us. Gun safety, presidential power, businessmen and greed, and health care. And a novel solution about making politicians responsible. It made me think and I learned something from each letter."
Inspiration & Action
Reader feedback on Amazon (5.0 out of 5 stars):
"The topic of guns in the US historically well combined with the responsibility and liability of politicians"
"The topic is very interesting and well presented in terms of content and presents well parallels to GDR history. The question of whether a politician is responsible for tolerating decisions and conditions and can be held liable is illustrated by the story of former Politburo member Herbert Häber and a parallel to the issue of legal weapons and their abuse in the US. The book generally raises the question of the moral, political and legal responsibility of politicians. That alone makes it highly explosive for politicians worldwide. One can easily overlook small things like the large font, which may optically distorts the appearance. And yet, clearly 5 stars from my point of view."
A Bullet For The Senator - Stage Play in 10 Scenes
'Bullet' is a synonym for the Sword of Damocles
(c) Bernd Haber, 2017
Synopsis of Scenes
Prelude: "I let the American People down"
Scene 1: The Maverick
Scene 2: Making the Case
Scene 3: Profession of Violence
Scene 4: The Case Evolves
Scene 5: Someone needs to do Something - It's Outrageous
Scene 6: The Case (The Mr. H Story)
Scene 7: Sanctity
Scene 8: The Case (The Hendersen Story)
Scene 9: Der kaukasische Kreidekreis (The Parable)
Scene 10: The Chalk Circle (The Resolve)
Persons (Characters) & Location
Persons (Characters):
Hugh Hendersen – GOP U.S. Senator from the State of Arizona
Randolph Genau – German-born citizen of Arizona and the United States & Journalist with the Arizona Daily News
Mrs. Mitchell – Arizona Office Director and Executive Assistant to Mr. Hendersen
Franklin Butler – GOP U.S. Senate Majority Lead (on the phone)
Milton Cromwell – Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court (on the phone) & his Executive Assistance Wanda Mollenheim
Location
U.S. Senator Hugh Hendersen’s local office in Phoenix, Arizona.
David Frost to Ex-President Richard Nixon
From the Complete Interviews on Watergate as originally broadcasted in May of 1977
“Coming to the sheer substance, would you go further than mistakes – the word that seems not enough for people to understand … the American People might hear you say; One is: there was probably more than mistakes, there was wrongdoing, whether there was a crime or not … secondly – and I am saying this without questioning the motives – I did abuse the power I had as president or, not fulfill the totality of the oath of office, and … thirdly, I put the American people through two years of needless agony and I apologize for that … Could you just say – with conviction – not because I want you to say it – that you did do some covering up. We are not talking legalistically now … there were series of times when, maybe overwhelmed by your loyalties or whatever else … but as you look back at the record, you behaved partially protecting your friends or maybe yourself. And that in fact you were – to put it most simple – a part of a cover-up at times.”
Ex-President Richard Nixon to David Frost
From the Complete Interviews on Watergate as originally broadcasted in May of 1977
“I brought myself down. I gave them a sword and they stuck it in and they twisted it with relish ... There can never be an impeachment in the future in this country without a president voluntarily impeaching himself … I had impeached myself by resigning … Yes, I let the American people down and I have to carry that burden with me for the rest of my life. My political life is over ... I will never again have an opportunity to serve in an official position ... I can only say that … while technically I did not commit a crime, an impeachable offense – these are legalisms. As far as the handling of this matter is concerned, it was so botched up. I made so many bad judgments, the worst ones, mistakes at the heart rather than the head, as I pointed out. But let me say: A man at this top job – he’s got to have a heart but his head must always rule his heart.”.
A Bullet For The Senator - The Novel
'Bullet' is a synonym for the Sword of Damocles
Currently in Process of Writing - (c) Bernd Haber, 2013 - 2022
Novel Synopsis (Short Version) & The March of the Folly
One may be tempted to believe that all legal decisions regarding the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution have been irrevocably made and that the country must now find a way to live with these laws. That is until Katie Vaughn, the quietly tenacious, 31 year old lawyer, takes on a new landmark case that assails this accepted status quo. Along the way, Katie must contend with obstacles from some familiar and unfamiliar factions, not to mention the inertia of all three branches of government. Will she be the one recognized in history annals as having the courage and perseverance to champion change?
...
As a constitutional originalist, Milton Cromwell, the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, is well known for his unwavering stances on the core issues of his country ... When Katie’s case comes to his attention, he is informed by his personal experience and resolves it must be taken up by the court. Amongst the myriad of landmark cases that have been examined by the court, this is the one he feels, with great urgency, must be right for justice to prevail now and in the future.
...
Will Katie prevail and consequently, affect the Second Amendment and set the stage for her career move to ‘higher’ office? Until June 11th, not a single soul has an idea how the justices will decide. Or, perhaps there is one?
The March of the Folly
"When objective evidence disproves strongly held beliefs, what occurs, according to theorists of “cognitive dissonance,” is not rejection of the beliefs but rigidifying, accompanied by attempts to rationalize the disproof. The result is “cognitive rigidity”; in lay language, the knots of folly draw tighter."
© 1984, Barbara W. Tuchman in “The March of the Folly from Troy to Vietnam”, Ballantine Books (Random House, Inc. New York)
The Author
Bernd Haber/Häber - is a citizen of Arizona and the United States of America who has been, and continues to be, concerned about people in power positions, i.e. politicians/elected officials, who get away with having done nothing to prevent harm to the constituencies which they represent given their constitutional obligations established by the oath of office they took - without any consequences for them, especially legally.
This trilogy of books creates stories around a legal framework based on true historic references and presents a legitimate case to charge (and even indict) the very same people in power with Manslaughter Through Neglect, a legal construct that has been used in an actual historic case.
Readers of these books are encouraged to connect the dots and get inspired to use associated implications for real world cases.
