By James Wilson
If the prophetic traditions in Old and New Testaments have any common theme it is the cry for justice – from Nathan confronting David for Uriah’s death to Elijah indicting Ahab and Jezebel for robbing and killing an old farmer for his lamb to Amos’ declaration that justice roll like a mighty river. If the famous can be falsely accused so can we all.
It began when the Travis County, Texas, District Attorney was arrested for DUI. Rosemary Lehmberg had three times the legal limit; an open vodka bottle, and assaulted two deputies. Governor Rick Perry demanded her resignation; when she refused he vowed to veto her office funding. When the budget crossed his desk he did just that. Lehmberg has persuaded a grand jury to indict Perry for abuse of power. His conviction on this and a related charge could send him to prison the rest of his life. Seriously?
Perry is not accused of lawbreaking. Everyone on both sides knows he has constitutional and statutory authority to exercise the veto in any way. Abuse of power is illegal, but charging it requires law to be broken. What we have is the mantra of hypocrisy, “It’s not what you did; it’s the way you did it.” Yet veto power is clearly and utterly at the executive’s discretion. Add to that the (unmentioned in the media) obvious fact that the very drunk-driving DA Perry wants out of office – for her criminal behavior – is prosecuting him for objecting to that behavior and you have a monumental case of false and malicious prosecution. Abuse of whose power?
Someone will surely note that Lehmberg is an avowed lesbian, while Perry’s support for traditional marriage is on record. But this is only relevant for those who think lesbians should be allowed to drive drunk and assault police officers.
More relevant is the history of prosecutions failing the smell test in Travis County. Travis is where Lehmberg’s predecessor, Ronny Earle, had to convene seven grand juries in order to indict House Majority Leader Tom DeLay in 2005. The first six refused to indict because DeLay had clearly done nothing wrong. Earle knew he could get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich if he kept at it. He got what he wanted and DeLay was forced by House rules to resign; he was even convicted of giving campaign funds to candidates for state office. The conviction was overturned on appeal after a seven-year court battle because DeLay’s trial was manipulated.
What DeLay did was neither illegal nor considered unethical at the time; Earle was well aware of DeLay’s innocence when he prosecuted. My question is why are such flagrant power abusers as Earle and Lehmberg not behind bars for their crimes? More importantly, why is the Church so biblically illiterate we are blind to the defiance of God in these actions?
The indictment against Perry is considered laughable by Democratic icons like David Axelrod and Alan Dershowitz; Clinton Obama Administration alum Jonathan Prince agrees. In our partisan gridlock it’s a jaw-dropper concerning their fellow Democrat.
The Word of God addresses the issue with even greater clarity. The prophet Zechariah writes when the returning exiles from Babylon were so poor and their land so exhausted it wouldn’t grow weeds. He declares God’s promise (Zech. 8:9-17) that when they let their hands be strong they will see such a magnificent harvest they will bless their neighbors as well as themselves. “As you have been an object of cursing…so will I save you, and you will be a blessing.” God’s promise is full on redemption. It reflects His relationship to modern Israel and any who are called by His Name, as much as to Old Testament times. But there is a behavioral condition.
“These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgments in your courts; do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,’ declares the Lord.” This is a double-edged promise – nothing but blessing when we treat each other as God treats us; nothing but failure and frustration when we throw each other under the bus. I hope Texans rise up and make life a non-violent living hell for the DA of Travis County until she resigns and this indictment is quashed. I hope Americans treat the lawless national regime the same way. But let us first examine our own hearts. Personal salvation by submission is gift; our promised national redemption comes with a couple of conditions. And for Christians meeting them is an obligation of faith.
James A. Wilson is the author of Living As Ambassadors of Relationships, The Holy Spirit and the End Times and Kingdom in Pursuit – available at local bookstores or by e-mailing him at praynorthstate@charter.net
