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On 16 March 1968, two platoons of U.S. soldiers in line formation approached a Vietnamese village. They expected fierce resistance but found only women, children, and old men out cooking their breakfast over open fires. What happened next was so horrific that the only U.S. casualty at the end of it was a soldier who shot himself in the foot so he would not have to participate. The incident is known in the United States as the My Lai massacre because that is how the location appeared on U.S. maps. The details are unsettling and better left to those who wish to research the event independently. The broad strokes include mass murder at close range, a village razed, women gang-raped and killed, and children, including infants, shot dead.
The only person convicted of any crime was an army lieutenant found guilty of murdering 22 people. The court-martial sentenced him to life in prison, but President Richard Nixon commuted it to three years of house arrest. In just the hamlet where that lieutenant led the attack, at least 347 civilians died.
The My Lai massacre is featured somewhere in every U.S. servicemember’s leadership and Law of War training. I have both given and received that training many times. The Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. United States again brought it to mind. I wondered, what if President Johnson had ordered the My Lai massacre? What would happen if a future president ordered similar crimes? Could that president be held responsible?
According to the Court’s ruling, no interpretation would permit a president’s prosecution for commanding an illegal, morally bankrupt, barbaric act. Chief Justice Roberts’s majority opinion in the case says, in part, “At least with respect to the President’s exercise of his core constitutional powers, this immunity must be absolute.” There is little doubt that the president’s role as commander-in-chief of our armed forces is a core constitutional power.
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A president of good character would never give such an order, of course, but we are faced with the possible return of the most capricious, amoral president in the history of the United States. What’s to stop Donald Trump from ordering another My Lai? After all, he’d never be prosecuted. A Republican-led House of Representatives would never impeach him, and Republicans in the Senate would never vote to convict.
My opponent in North Dakota’s U.S. House race spent the primary season crowing about having Trump’s endorsement. She parroted his “post-birth abortion” nonsense. She has vowed to stand with him, and he knows, as we all do, that she would never have the spine to stand against him. When confronted with a challenge instead of a coronation at North Dakota’s Republican state convention, she bailed out. She could have fought for the endorsement, for her supporters, and for the legitimacy of the convention. In the face of battle with some mean Republicans, she retreated. How can we expect anything different if she encounters Trump’s displeasure or that of his loyalists in the House?
We are all tired of this sycophancy. We need representatives in Congress who will stand up for the Constitution, not for the whims of a demagogue. We need leaders who will defend our democracy with the same tenacity they defend their party lines. My opponent’s track record illustrates the disturbing trend of surrendering to Trumpism at the expense of authentic leadership. It’s high time we reject the politics of fear and fealty and instead embrace the principles that make our country strong: integrity, accountability, and the unwavering pursuit of justice.
As a veteran, a teacher, and a patriot, I believe in the power of collective action and shared sacrifice. I am committed to representing the values and interests of the people of my state and our country, not the interests of a select few. But I can’t do it alone. To fight for a Congress that prioritizes the people over party politics, I need your support.
If you envision a future where leaders are accountable, laws protect everyone, and integrity is a lived value, join my campaign. Your contribution, however small, has a big impact. Together, we can amplify our voices and create a government representing us all. Please donate today and drive the change we urgently need.
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