Have you no sense of decency, Gentlemen?

 “Have you no sense of decency, Gentlemen?”
During the 1954 “Army vs. McCarthy” congressional hearings, there occurred one of the more memorable exchanges in American political history.

Joseph McCarthy, the junior Senator from Wisconsin, had systematically terrorized many Americans through the use of his  House of Un-American Activities Congressional Committee. It was a reprehensible misuse of the congressional inquiry vehicle by an individual for political ends.

On this particular occasion, McCarthy had been savaging the reputation of a young lawyer working with the United States Army's Chief Counsel, Joseph N. Welch. After a scurrilous verbal exchange by McCarthy, attacking the young Lawyer, Joseph N. Welch had stunned the audience by issuing his now famous plea,” Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?” The plaintive inquiry ignited a flame that was the beginning of the end of the influence held by  “tail gunner Joe," as critics called him.

I think of this incident now in conjunction with the current Congressional inquiry into former Secretary of State’s Hillary Clinton’s use of private e-mails while serving her country.
Several law enforcement agencies have looked into the matter extensively and determined that while the practice may have been of questionable judgment,  because of the security clearances involved, the behavior did not rise to the level of criminal conduct. That should have been the end of the story, correct? Clinton admitted her lapse in judgment and the matter should have died there. Voters can now decide how much attention to give the issue.

And then, a special House of Representatives committee started to look into the matter. Congressional staff would argue that matters such as this are well within their purview. That rhetoric might have flown before House Republican Majority leader Kevin McCarthy, R- California stated, in public and on a televised interview, that the committee had been formed to “knock Hillary Clinton’s poll numbers down. And in effect it has.” This makes the inquiry another kettle of fish

Our venerable United States Constitution, in Article, 1, Section 9 specifically prohibits the Congress from passing bills that are in their essence  “ex post facto or a Bill of attainder.” What that fancy language means is that the framers were well aware of the legislative abuses possible were Congress to choose to attack one person, particularly when the legislative action occurs “after the fact.”  The framers were much aware of such abuses from their knowledge of the  long history of the English Parliament, that had much abused their power by attacking single individuals for financial or political ends. They sough to curb the practice in our American Constitution. And now of course, with this incident, we understand why.

A committee of The United States Congress was established to hold an inquiry of an individual, solely for the purpose of hurting her political image and Poll numbers.” Then of course, they were fence post-dumb enough to admit to this infraction in public? I have to ask of these congressmen the same plaintive inquiry posted by the esteemed Mister Welch in 1954. “Have you no sense of decency, gentlemen, at long last? Have you no sense of decency?"

Congress may answer that that is not their intent. But the esteemed Mr. McCarthy gave voice to that intent.  The legal definition of “intent” is “ a determination to perform a particular act or to act in a particular manner for a specific reason, an aim or a design, a resolution to use certain means to reach an end.” Does that not seemingly explain the esteemed Rep. McCarthy’s statement of intent? Give me a break, boys. You got caught with your philosophical pants around your ankles in public and now won’t admit to it !

Growing up, in a blue-collar section of Buffalo New York, I can also remember another concept ingrained into our psyches since we were small children. It is a sense of fundamental fairness, a part of which is the abhorrence of any man or bunch of them beating up on a woman. You can color the congressional activity under any verbal screen you chose, but this is what this action amounts to, a bunch of older white men beating up on a woman. I have an even plainer rejoinder to that, “Cut it out you cowards!” Americans don’t do things like that, or at least not the Americans I know.  And many of us are enrolled Republicans, who think such actions are reprehensible. Show some decency, at long last!

We were having lunch a few days back with a wonderful couple from the great state of Michigan. In discussing the matter, the gentleman asked me whether the whole “e-mail” matter was of consequence to me. I surprised even myself when I replied strongly in the negative,” No, I replied. I find the entire matter silly. What is of consequence to me are a candidate’s positions on Defense spending, Immigration, Healthcare, the health and longevity of Social Security and Medicare, the education of our young, the state of our environment and a dozen other such important issues which will determine the fate of our nation for the next twenty years. Those are the things that matter to me, not some contrived political claptrap, dreamed up by a bunch of pols who are eager to savage an opponent.

During the next twelve months, in America, there will be ample time to listen to the views of candidates from all political parties, who seek the office of the Presidency of these United States of America. I will listen to all of them before making the critical decision on whom I will cast my ballot for. I urge others to do the same. Vote as if the life and welfare of your family depends on the election, for it does every time.

                                                                -30-

                                                           (976 words)

                                                     Joseph Xavier Martin