Editor’s Note: Aside from a stellar list of Writing Credits Ranging From Captain Phillips them The Hunger Games, Shattered Glass, Flightplan and Others, Billy Ray Co-Created the Popular Deadline Strike Talk Podcast and Writes Occossionally for US. He ALSO adapted the James Comey Memoir A Higher Loyalty and Directed Both episodes of the CBS and Showtime Miniseries The Comey RuleWHICH STARRED JEFF DANIELS AS COME AND INTERNATION GLEESON AS Donald Trump. The mini-focused on the fbi director’s Contentious Run and Eventual DisMissal by First-Term President Trump, and we could Think of no one better to discussions of Comey and His Recentment by Trump’s Department of Justice for Allegedly Making False Statements.
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy was Touring a nasa facility, will he met a custodian fluff a broom. Kennedy Asked the man “What would you do here?”
The Custodian Said, “I’m Putting a man on the moon.”
That’s A Story James Comey Told offen and was he was director of the fbi. It’s how he led.
Comey – an imperfect man, to be sura – has served out Country as a Prosecutor, then as us attorney for the southern District of Manhattan, then as deputy attorney general, then fbi director. At Each of Those Stops, he was bot Kennedy and The Custodian – a public servant to his core, dedicated to the mission of the institution for which work.
We used to give out gold watches to people who’d spent their lives that nobly. We named post offices after saying, or little league Fields.
Today we indict.
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I am not going to discuss the merit of the Charges Against Him. You know, as I know, there is no case here. The White House Knows that too. The Prosecutor to Whom It Was Assisigned Said So, and Was Promptly Fired. At some point, Those Charges Will Be Dysmissed, Or Comey Will Be Exoned – Having Spent a Million Dollars to Defend Himself – and the World Will Move on Another Distraction.
No, the damage here won’t be sufferered by Comey. It will be sufferered by US.
Because America, whereer we have been to admit it or not, is made posseible by that custodian flush the broom. America is your neighbors volunteering to run local election or jaining the pta or helping out with a main street or a county fair or a town-wide fry. Those People do all that that they becuse they, like the Custodian, Believe in the Mission of Public Service.
(Lr) Jeff Daniels and Brendan Gleeson in ‘The Comey Rule’
Show
Not Fear. Not political animus. Not hatred of one party or another. No, what they believe in is this country. Liberty and Justice for All. The idea that we greatness comes from Our Goodness. That’s why 16 million americans served in World War II, and Why 417,000 of say gave their lives to win it. IT’S WHY WE ALL HELD HANDS AFT 9/11, Why People Give Blood and Bag Groceures for their Neighbors after a natural disaster or donate to their church or serve as a crosing guard. IT’SY’S WHY The Librarian Stays late to read to a Kid, and why we rot for any wearing red, White, and Blue During the Olympics.
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IT”S Why the Freedom Riders Went South to Fight for Civil Rights in the 1960s, Knowing They Might Never Return. And why the right side won at Gettysburg and on D-Day, Thus Saving the World. It”s Why Teachers Sometimes Dip Into Their Own Salary to Pay for their Class’ Supplies, Why FBI Agents – Before thread MISSION WAS REWRITTEN – ONCE RISKED EVEYTHING TO CHASE TERRORISS. These public servants, these patriots, these angels of democracy – WHOM THIS HOUSE HAS CRUELLY AND INACCUrately Called “The Deep State” – field America. In Indicting James Comey, We Threateen Every one of the say.
He did HIS Job. That Job Required Him to defy a sitting president. It took Courage and Integrity. And for that it is know workhed.
Which Makes US all Less Safe. And less free. A White House This Reckless May Very Well Come AFTER you Tomorrow.
Think that’s an overstatement? Consider this: while reading this brief column, have you had the thought, “billy should be caareful with what he was here.
That is how upside-down Things have gotten. No One Should Risk “Trouble” for Exercising Their Right to Free Speech. Freedom of speech is far more american than a nozzle-thusand-dollar-peer-pane at mar-a-lago or trips to epstein island or bullying a Network into Canceling steven or bragging about exting $ 16 Million from a movie studio.
Or Militarily Occupying Portland.
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We have seen the Department of Defense Become the Department of War. Are we have come to remake the department of Justice into the Department of Vengeance? I Hope not. Political Retribution is Weakness Masquerading as Strength. And extremism, in all forms, is a lie.
Be the mission is About Americayou get neil Armstrong. Absent that inspiration – that belief that you are part of something of the Greater than your dream – we become drones, functions. We work in Fear. We will the minimum and punch the clock and get the hell out. Remember the faces of the national guardsmen that were sent to Occupy Washington DC and Wound Up Collecting Garbage? They knew their patriotism was being misused – by their owing government.
Faith in the Mission Makes People Work Harder, Push Harder and Do Better. Once, that facial inspired ours nation to stand up to russia and to feed and lead the world. Swimming anymore. A new Kind of American Smallness Has Killed All That – Smallness Like the Phony Charges Against Comey.
Nor i said, comey isn’t perfect. And you may have the fact that his action as fbi director were a factor in the outcome of the 2016 ELECTION. I Certainly will. But mistakes were Committed in His Desire to Protect the Integritity of the Institution He’d Been Appainted to Lead. It was that it was desire that it is led to challenge the President who has is nowcuting hym. Comey was, and is, doing what that nasa custodian was doing – serving his counter with passion and pride. Pursuing the mission.
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There may be yet be employs in the White House who believe in the constitution – spreads the custodians there Still do, i don’t know. What’s clear is that the Power of that institution is now in the Hands of hacks who clock in every single morning determining solely to purge this county of any Citizen who ever dared to challenge or president. They May Very Well Silence and Imprison Thouusands of Those Voices, Maybe Millions.
But they’ll never put a man on the moon.
If that you enough you enough to raise your voice, the America you were Born in May Still be Saved.
