Lessons from Mike Pence’s rebuttal of 25th Amendment

Sir: The American democratic exceptionalism has not been tarnished as many U.S. officials seem it to be. It’s not a delusion that America is still the father of democracy. The January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol Hill, which was widely regarded as a backlash on the premium and prestige of this ‘‘great America,’’ was actually an eyesore. And it’s necessitated members of the Congress to debate on whether or not the 25th Amendment of the Constitution would be invoked, which calls that Vice President Mike Pence and majority of the cabinet would declare President Donald Trump misfit and incompetent to discharge his duties as President.

To start with, I believe Pence is under duress to indict Trump of “inciting insurrection,” sedition, or subversion. Republican Congressman Jim Jordan points out that Democrats are ‘‘obsessed’’ to ‘‘cancel’’ Trump, or better still Republicans, from the face of America. Well, it does seem certain Americans who are not of the ‘‘Pro-Trump Republican Party’’ are likely to be anti-Trump, or pro-Republican-Democrats. Such defect might technically mean carpet-crossing, which is typically un-American.

Citing Abraham Lincoln’s all-important “history” of ‘‘America United,’’ Speaker, House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi says Trump is a threat and damage to the rule of law and Constitution and should therefore be impeached, in the words of one Democrat, “not one moment longer.”

Amid all the trial and tribulation of Mr. Trump, Mr. Pence appears to remain unsupportive of the 25th Amendment. Not only because Trump chose him to be his running mate in 2016, when he was still Indiana governor, but also because of his character, courage and conviction.

By and large, Pence has shown, by complementing Trump’s apparent shamefaced side, which is necessary for progressive leadership, that sacrificing constitutional entitlements – so that one doesn’t dehumanise and downtrod someone else’s essence of existence – is way more rewarding than being a religious political apparatchik. To me, Pence is a constitution of human understanding; who has the capability to process the complexity of being qua being.

Pence’s conviction is a sword drawn out of the scabbard of his spirit. Of course, he believes in a United America. Of course, he rejoices in a free, fair and credible election. And he’s by no means counterproductive to the dictates of the Constitution.

Why is it so difficult for many Democrats and neonatal Republican Democrats to understand that Pence’s exceptionalism is an embodiment of “the weapon of emancipation” needed to rescue America from the slavery of white supremacy and extremism? That’s what I believe could steeple the spine and in Joe Biden’s words, build back better America.

Segun Ige