The Reopening of Alcatraz – Once Notorious as One of the US’s Toughest Prisons – Would Serve as a “Symbol of Law, Order, and Justice.”
This was officially declared by our 47th president, the Orange Man, who is America’s first to sit behind that Oval Office Resolute Desk as a convicted felon.
Once Alcatraz is swept up a bit, and the locks on cells all checked and WD-40’d (or even before), how appropriate would it be for The Donald to celebrate that symbol as its initiatory resident?
The Orange Man’s 79th birthday approaches, on June 14th and he hopes for a military parade.
The Golden Gate Bridge can be viewed, from a properly located Alcatraz cell, although he’d need binoculars. A hat-trick offers itself: the oldest president to occupy the office, the first to be imprisoned for his felonious convictions, and the first to have a military parade in honor of the occasion.
Bands might play, 6,600 soldiers might march (in broken stride, to preserve the bridge), facing left toward Alcatraz, whose flag will boldly fly at half-mast. Tanks and nuclear-missile carriers might further test the bridges capacity, floats to follow, and thousands of Maga-minions, always out-of-step in the best of times.
And what is this administration, but Charles Dickens’ “best of times and worst of times?”
The prison closed in 1963, because it was too expensive to continue operating, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website. It was nearly three times more costly to operate than any other federal prison, largely due to its island location.
Nay-sayers claim it would take an enormous amount of money to make Alcatraz into a functioning prison, but what do they know? Alcatraz has "a reputation as a tough prison" and Trump is sending a message that his administration will be tough on crime, except for him personally.
It’s a crime to send prisoners to El Salvador, the Supreme Court has confirmed.
Even so, the Orange Man’s first 100 days were marked by a significant number of crimes—initiating over 200 lawsuits. None of those (yet) resulted in a definitive court ruling that he violated the Constitution during that period, but 200 rulings in 100 days is a bit much to expect.
However, court rulings mean little or nothing in this tough-on-crime administration without enforcement. And, while our courts have the tools to enforce findings against you or me, a sitting president might contrive to control all the agencies of enforcement, to do as they damn well please.
And, unlike all those before him, this particular president has damn well pleased more than 200 times in 100 days.
Two per day, tough on the undefended.
Two per day, tough on the powers of Congress.
Two per day, tough on the Constitution he swore to defend
A stunning record to behold.