Demagogue Trump pardons convict sheriff Arpaio, and joins him in scorning the rule of law

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. --The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States

"I, Donald J. Trump, to solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God." --Donald J. Trump, January 20, 2017

Abuse of power. Misuse of funds. Failure to investigate sex crimes. Improper clearance of cases. Unlawful enforcement of immigration laws. Election law violations. Illegal racial profiling.

Those are some of the charges which have been leveled against former Arizona Sherriff Joe Arpaio, the self-styled "toughest sheriff in America." They are serious enough and of great enough concern to his former constituents that they denied him re-election last November in the very election in which Donald Trump carried Arizona and the Electoral College.

Like the president, Sheriff Arpaio was one of the deluded individuals who publicly stated a belief, on the basis of no evidence whatsoever, that former President Obama was born in Kenya. Unlike the president, however, he has never recanted that belief and continues to insist that the former president's birth certificate issued by the State of Hawaii was forged- again, on the basis of no evidence whatsoever.

The accusations against Sheriff Arpaio are serious, involving the denial of their constitutional rights to countless individuals and the making of arrests on grounds which he was specifically forbidden to employ by the courts. He was convicted last month of criminal contempt of court for defying a court order to cease and desist his illegal practice of racial profiling.

He is, in short, a bully and a lawbreaker who has openly displayed his contempt for the Bill of Rights and the Constitution he was sworn to uphold. But he will never have to answer for his crimes because President Trump, whom he outspokenly supported in last year's election,  pardoned him today.

Mr. Trump, whose open contempt for the right of others to disagree with and criticize him and for the continued existence of a free and independent press are notorious, thereby further expressed his disdain for the rule of law and further demagogued the illegal immigration issue he has exploited so dishonestly by pardoning a man whose violations of the law were far more serious than merely entering the country illegally. Of course, those in whose eyes nothing Mr. Trump could do would possibly be wrong will cheer.

Those who believe that law enforcement officials themselves should be held accountable to the law and who believe in the Constitution will, of course, have another opinion. The human disgrace who occupies the Oval Office has once again thumbed his nose at the Bill of Rights in order to cultivate his constituency among the nation's authoritarians and racists.

Mr. Trump has once again proven himself unfit for the office he holds. But then, that has been obvious to anybody who has been paying attention since long, long before the angry, the ill-informed, and those whose fear was stronger than their common sense elected him last November.

Donald John Trump is the enemy of our Constitution and of everything this nation has ever stood for, and they will be in danger as long as he continues to disgrace the office he so regrettably holds.

Photo: William S. Saturn