Open Letter to Rep. Lois Frankel (D-FL)…#2

Yesterday, I sent a letter to my Congresswoman, Lois Frankel in which I forwarded an  Around the Block post, 2020 Election: American Nightmare? You can read that letter here: https://around-the-block.com/2020/03/19/open-letter-to-rep-lois-frankel-d-fl/

Based on the events of the last 24 hours, I sent another letter to Congresswoman Frankel today. I’d like to share that letter with you as well.

Dear Congresswoman Frankel,

I wrote to you yesterday and mentioned my blog post, “2020 Election: American Nightmare?”

Today I posted a satirical column regarding Trump’s suggesting, without evidence, that “an anti-malaria drug has been approved for use in treating coronavirus symptoms.” This was immediately debunked by the FDA.

I won’t bore you with the post itself; you have more important things to deal with.

But I wanted to share with you how I prefaced today’s post:

“Note to Readers:

“The coronavirus pandemic is not a laughing matter. And Trump’s and his team’s handling of the crisis is tragic, not funny.

“Yesterday I posted a column entitled “2020 Election: American Nightmare?” I felt is was so important, I forwarded the post in a letter to my Congresswoman, Lois Frankel (https://around-the-block.com/2020/03/19/open-letter-to-rep-lois-frankel-d-fl/).

“This morning, the renowned author, professor and historian, Jon Meacham wrote an Op-Ed in the New York Times entitled ‘We Can’t Let Coronavirus Postpone Elections” (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/20/opinion/coronavirus-election-primary-postpone.html).

“Here is, in part, what Meacham wrote: ‘…for chaos could lead to a nightmare scenario: the possibility that President Trump might take advantage of the unfolding health crisis to delay the November election.’

“As we face one of the greatest crises in our lifetimes, led by the most incompetent leader in our history, as we ‘shelter in place’ in California and undoubtably soon in other states and cities, as we sink deeper into this dystopian reality that is not fiction, we still need to smile and to laugh (but alas, not hug). Hopefully my little bit of satirical humor will help. I hope so. Because if we can’t laugh in the face of adversity, we’re doomed.

“So, forgive me for both the ‘You can’t make this up’ and the ‘I actually made this up” commentary in my post.’”

Getting back to Meacham, he writes, “Alarmist? Not for anyone who’s paid even glancing attention to the president’s will to power and contempt for constitutional convention.”

I understand, as Meacham also writes, “Scholars do not believe that even action by the president under national-emergency powers could postpone the quadrennial election unless Congress agreed — which means the Democratic House may be the only bulwark against constitutional chaos come fall.”

But what are the opinions of “scholars” in the age of Trump who has “contempt for constitutional convention.”

Please, please help me, help my family, help all your constituents, help all Americans.

Talk to your colleagues across the aisle in both the House and the Senate. Many of them “whiffed” when they had the chance during the impeachment process to “remove this cancer on the presidency.” We are facing the consequences of those votes now. Please help make sure they don’t “strike out” again when they come to bat next!

Sincerely,

Theodore (Ted) Block