Some Jobs Should Not Be Done?

Trump has lawlessly used Federal agents in U.S. cities and against law-abiding immigrants. Many protests have resulted. At one August protest in D.C., Justice Department employee Sean Dunn threw a sandwich at one of the heavily armed and armored federal agents.

Trump’s Attorney General Pam Bondi went after Dunn with the full force of prosecution as well as firing Dunn with no due process. I was relieved that Dunn was acquitted of all charges, and I posted this on Facebook.

A friend replied that Dunn shouldn’t have thrown the sandwich. I asked why not. She said, “The federal agent is just doing his or her job.” This really scared me. I grew up with the lesson of the Holocaust: Just “doing your job” and/or “following orders” can lead to the worst atrocities if people don’t question their job or orders.

This goes beyond atrocities to jobs that are just pointless. A college friend often said, “Any job not worth doing is not worth doing well.” A parody of, “whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well.” First stated by Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield in 1746.

Five lawmakers released a video directed to those serving in the military stating: “You must refuse illegal orders.” Senator Mark Kelly and Representatives Chris DeLuzio, Maggie Goodlander, Chrissy Houlahan and Jason Crow all served in the military or intelligence community.

Trump responded by posting “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” Actually, he has it backwards. At the Nuremberg trials after WWII, it was established that people who committed crimes against humanity could be executed for those crimes. Even if they were just “doing their job.”

“We must never forget that the record on which we judge these defendants today is the record on which history will judge us tomorrow.” U.S. chief prosecutor Robert H. Jackson made this opening statement to make it clear that the rules applied at Nuremberg must also apply to all of us at all times in the future.

Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice only lawful orders must be obeyed.

Trump has ordered the military and federal agents to do unlawful assaults on civilians. Based on a lie(s) that the U.S. is at “war”, suffering an “invasion” of “illegal immigrants” who are waging a “war from within.” A recent NY Times article documented a case of a Massachusetts family returning from vacation in Mexico. The mother was a legal permanent U.S. resident, yet she was abducted at Logan Airport and disappeared for days. Held incommunicado in utterly inhumane conditions. With no explanation ever provided.

Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice only lawful orders must be obeyed.

The “Problem of Dirty Hands” faces job holders in a brutal situation: Do I stay and try to soften the brutality for victims? Or do I refuse to be complicit in a brutal system? There isn’t always a clear answer. But sometimes there is. The first step is to notice you are participating in a brutal system. The next step is to honestly ask if your presence is helping or hurting.

Trump has fired 100 immigration judges for following the law in a humane fashion. If you are being forced to behave inhumanely the choice to leave is clear.

In the case of Trump’s brutal immigration policy, it is important to see the larger picture. He openly talks about using this system against legal residents and even U.S. naturalized citizens who disagree with him politically. His big ugly bill allocated tens of billions of dollars to build detention facilities far beyond anything legally justified.

Why? Because the immigration and border patrol system stands outside of any legal bounds of due process. Most Americans have no idea. I first had experience with this as a grad student when an immigrant classmate was abducted by immigration agents inside the US. He was released after a week with no explanation and was told they can do this any time they want.

As a U.S. citizen I had a taste of it. Being randomly sent to a detention area at the Canada/Detroit border. I was not allowed any communication. No explanation was ever provided.

Do you ever question your own job? What are the fruits of your labor?