Sharon Kennedy: The tears of Merrick Garland

The attorney general of the United States is a man who is not embarrassed by his tears. I had never heard of Merrick Garland until 2016 when President Obama nominated him for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. The announcement was made, and Garland “choked up” as he expressed his thanks and appreciation for the honor. Of course, nothing came of it. Readers who follow politics will remember why. For those who don’t know, the Republicans decided it wasn’t proper to hold hearings during a presidential election year. They changed their minds in 2020.

In 2021, Garland teared up again when President Biden nominated him for the post he currently holds. When responding to questions put to him by the Senate Judiciary Committee, he said his grandparents had fled from anti-Semitism and persecution and were grateful the U.S. took them in and “protected” them. He promised to make the Jan. 6 insurrection a top priority by prosecuting white supremacists and others who stormed the Capitol. He didn’t want to see the same thing happen here that had happened in Europe.

In September of last year, he went before the House Judiciary Committee as a result of Rep. Jim Jordan’s suggestion that he was “slow-walking” the investigation into Hunter Biden. Garland controlled his anger at the notion that anyone was above the law including the President’s son. He became emotional when repeating his thankfulness to our country for saving members of his family. He expressed his absolute belief in the rule of law with no exceptions. The following month, he wilted again in a “60 Minutes” interview. He became emotional at the thought of America losing its democratic form of government.

There might have been a time when a government official showing emotions that brought tears to his eyes or a catch in his throat would have been respected, but not anymore. In the America of today, Garland’s tears are considered a display of weakness. Millions of people are yearning for a strong man to tell them what to do and when, where and how to do it. A show of strength, if only via rhetoric and the raising of a fist, is applauded. If the Republican frontrunner cried real tears and showed a speck of humility, how would his base react? Would they be stunned that their strong man had a chink in his character? That he showed weakness? That maybe he wasn’t as tough as he claimed to be?

I don’t think so because his base would never believe it. They’d call any display of humility fake news. If Trump is a psychopath, as some professionals have suggested, he’s incapable of feeling any sense of guilt or remorse. His rhetoric gets stronger and more volatile with each speech.

Chris Christie spoke the truth when he said DJT is dangerous, but his base will ignore his warnings. It’s too late to bring them back to traditional Republican values. Christie didn’t choke up as Garland might have, but he apologized for supporting Trump in the 2016 election. Will it make a difference?

Probably not. Too many Ivy League politicians are playing major roles in the Trump show. It must continue with rats like Sammy “the Bull” Gravano praising DJT. He outwitted Sammy when mafia attorney, Roy Cohn, was by his side. In case you didn’t hear, Trump was pleased to count the former mobster as a character witness. And this is the Republican’s favorite choice for president? Why not simply run with the Bull and be done with it? No tears needed.

— To contact Sharon Kennedy, send her an email at sharonkennedy1947@gmail.com. Kennedy's new book, "View from the SideRoad: A Collection of Upper Peninsula Stories," is available from her or Amazon.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Sharon Kennedy: The tears of Merrick Garland