Charita Goshay: The peaceful transfer of power is what makes America great

Watching a taped deposition of Gen. Michael Flynn took me back to February, when the general received a rock star's welcome in Canton.

Flynn was a featured speaker on the "ReAwaken America Tour," a traveling cavalcade of MAGA stars which drew a packed house of thousands at Trinity Gospel Temple.

The tour included Eric Trump, MyPillow mogul Mike Lindell and political strategist Roger Stone, all of whom warned the audience that apocalyptic days were ahead unless they waged a fight for the soul of the country.

Flynn, who declared that the country would be "taken back," was revered and cheered like a conquering warrior.

But one of his responses during his Jan. 6 House committee deposition proves it wasn't a greeting he deserved.

When asked "Do you support the peaceful transfer of power?" Flynn pleaded the Fifth.

Um, what?

It's a "yes" or "no" question, isn't it?

Hint: The how-to instructions are embedded in the Constitution.

If you're a Flynn fan, are you OK with this?

The only alternative to a peaceful transfer of power is becoming a banana republic and enduring over and over what we witnessed on Jan. 6, 2021, and not just on the national level.

At some point, such poison will trickle downhill to the school board election. Already in our own community we've seen members resigning from public posts out of concern for their families' safety.

School board member threatened: Marlington Local school board member resigns, cites threats and harassment

Hallmark of the republic

The peaceful transfer of power is the hallmark of what it means to be a constitutional republic. If you're a self-proclaimed patriot who's unable to answer the question, what alternative do you propose?

If that isn't grounds for a court martial, what is?

There have been moments when the procedure has been put to the test. Abraham Lincoln's election in 1860 precipitated the departure of southerners from the House and Senate, leading to the Civil War.

There are Democrats still bitter about Bush v. Gore, which could have triggered much more upheaval than it did had Vice President Al Gore not been willing to put his country first.

More Charita Goshay: July 4, 1776, was only the start

Back in 2016, incoming President Donald Trump ignored warnings from the Obama administration that Flynn was radioactive. Trump was forced to fire him from his national security adviser post days later after it was learned Flynn lied to the FBI and Vice President Mike Pence about unauthorized dealings with Russia.

This country is filled with Americans who have loved and served this country with honor.

We ought to prefer heroes who don't lie to the government.

Look for the authentic heroes

Every day that passes, we lose authentic heroes without much notice, such as retired Army Brigadier Gen. Charles E. McGhee, a Tuskegee Airman from Cleveland who died earlier this year at 102.

A 30-year veteran, McGhee flew combat missions in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, winning more medals than a man's chest can hold. He was promoted to brigadier general in 2020, at age 100.

Then there's Hershel W. "Woody" Williams, the last living World War II Medal of Honor recipient, who died last week at 98.

Williams, who visited Canton, was twice rejected by the Marines for being too short, but he persisted in serving. He earned his medal during the bloody Battle of Iwo Jima by destroying seven Japanese concrete "pillbox" bunkers with a 70-pound flamethrower.

Every political event draws its share of conspiracy theorists and extremists. Social media has made it more difficult to glean facts from fiction - there are people counting on it -  but the people I spoke with at the ReAwaken America Tour were sincere in their concern for their country.

They deserve a better hero than one who refuses to answer a fundamental question about a non-negotiable principle of the country he claims to love.

That's not conservatism, heroism or patriotism.

Any one of us would have answered "yes."

That Flynn didn't, speaks volumes.

Charita M. Goshay is a Canton Repository staff writer and a member of the editorial board. Reach her at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com. On Twitter: @cgoshayREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Charita Goshay: Peaceful transfer of power is what makes America great