Laursen: Sessions resigned, and the left is mad?
The left is running to Jeff Sessions’ aid in the wake of his dismissal.
An attendee holds up a sign referencing possible Russian collusion in the 2016 Presidential election during the “Trump is not above the law” rally on the Pentacrest on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. The protest was organized in reaction to Trump’s dismissal of Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
November 11, 2018
Two years ago, Donald Trump announced that he would make Jeff Sessions his attorney general. This announcement was met with immediate opposition from both the left and the right. Sessions’ track record is less than ideal; he has a history of revoking African American’s right to vote, and in 1986, he was denied a federal judgeship, which many attribute to Sessions’ already outdated love for law-and-order policing coupled with his racist antics. Despite Sessions’ rocky reputation, President Trump ultimately appointed him to a position that would allow Sessions to be outright biased in the application of the law.
I myself am still astonished that Sessions was ever able to be attorney general. To me, appointing Sessions to lead the country’s law enforcement would be like appointing Harvey Weinstein to run a battered women’s shelter. Probably not the best idea.
Yet, in the wake of Sessions’ resignation, protesters have flooded the streets all over the country. Not just any protesters, these are the same people who were opposed to Sessions in the first place, but now, they advocate for him.
Suddenly, people are more than willing to spring to Sessions’ side. I can’t help but wonder, why?
On Nov. 8, MoveOn, a progressive organization that advocates for social justice, hosted a nationwide protest that stood against Sessions’ recent demise. Hundreds of UI students and community members gathered on the Pentacrest in support. Signs held in the air asserted that Sessions’ resignation was a breach of democracy. Chants were screamed into the frigid night, “Wake up Congress, do your job,” and “Conclusion, collusion.” It is obvious that the left is using Sessions’ removal as yet another pawn in their relentless Russia investigation, which has yet to turn up any hard evidence against President Trump.
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And though I know full well that MoveOn and other organizations are protesting Sessions’ resignation on the basis of the Russia investigation, I still cannot turn a blind eye to the obvious hypocrisy here. MoveOn’s website advertises that it “envisions a world marked by equality, sustainability, justice, and love.” It goes on to add that the organization mobilizes people to achieve these goals. But on Thursday night, MoveOn led a protest that stood against the resignation of Sessions.
Watching progressive organizations oppose Sessions’ resignation has been appalling. I understand why people are still suspicious of the president and his alleged collusion with Russia, but there are bigger problems at hand.
Sessions is an old-school, law and order Republican who holds outdated beliefs about how to combat drug addiction. During his time as attorney general, Sessions broke from Obama era policies by ordering federal prosecutors to seek the maximum punishment for low-level drug crimes. Additionally, Sessions has been quoted saying, “good people don’t smoke marijuana.” And as Michigan became the 32nd state to allow the use of medical marijuana, it is abundantly clear that Sessions is behind the times.
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The fact that progressive groups around the country flipped on a dime to condemn Sessions’ removal only furthers the right’s point: The left will do anything to condemn Trump. And quite frankly, that is too bad.
When people from either side of the aisle lose sight of what they stand for, everything becomes a political game. Today, it is clear to me that the left will say anything to make Trump sound bad. And though I agree that Trump is not my favorite president, I don’t agree with manipulating agendas to fit what today’s news cycle may bring. MoveOn lost sight in its advertised values in an effort to make President Trump look bad. I do not believe that the collateral damage, advocating for Sessions to remain in control of U.S.’s law enforcement, is worth making the president look bad for a measly 24 hours.
