It is a cliché to say we are living in historic times, but I’m sure some talking head on TV will utter these words with the proper gravitas.

Has there ever been any time in the human era on this planet during which history hasn’t taken place?

Well, the significance is, of course, that only for the third time a president of the United States has been impeached and a trial has been set in the Senate to consider his removal.

If you read a little about the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson, one can see the issue of a clash between Congress and the president was, for many historians, the reason behind the effort to remove him.

Johnson had removed the Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, whose politics aligned with many in Congress concerning Reconstruction. Sensing that Johnson would remove him, Congress passed a law that would make the removal illegal. Johnson had vetoed the bill but Congress had enough votes to overturn it.

When Stanton was fired, members of Congress said this was a violation of law and sought impeachment.

Johnson was not removed and years later the Supreme Court ruled that Johnson had acted within his duties as president.

This is a simplification of the politics and events that led to the impeachment. If you read more you will find it very interesting.

As many of us remember the impeachment of President Bill Clinton revolved around the accusation of his committing perjury concerning statements he made about his affair with Monica Lewinsky.

While Clinton was not removed from office, he was disbarred as an attorney and paid a settlement and fines.

President Richard Nixon knew impeachment was coming and decided to resign from office to avoid it.

In the case of both Johnson and Clinton, there was considerable public support for impeachment. In each case it was an event that divided the nation.

While impeachment is an instrument of the Constitution to address the accusations of wrong doing by a president, the subject of impeachment is almost always political in nature.  

I believe it is accurate for me to write that the supporters of President Donald Trump will not acknowledge that he has done anything that violates the Constitution. Their narrative is that Trump is the target of people who are politically opposed to his positions.

The Trump Administration is spinning the impeachment as a means to stage a bloodless coup and remove a legally elected president.

I have long realized that it does not make any difference what is reported and corroborated about actions and statements made by this president. I recognize his supporters view him as not just an American citizen who has been elected by his peers to this seat. His supporters view him with a faith that is usually reserved for religion.

Some of his supporters in the Senate are declaring how they have already made up their minds, despite an oath they took to be unbiased jurists.

This is incomprehensible to me.

I attribute my thoughts to my upbringing. I don’t share such an attitude toward a public official. I was taught the people we elect to office are under the Constitution the same as any other citizen. I have admired and supported many people in elected office, but none of them are perfect.

Roosevelt – both Theodore and Franklin – Truman, Eisenhower and Obama are all presidents whom I admire and every one of them was a human being who made mistakes and took stances with which I disagreed.

I like Gov. Baker, but I don’t agree with him on everything. I liked Gov. Patrick but, again, thought he wasn’t always right.

So if this editorial offends you because you believe I have unjustly criticized your president, I suppose I should say I’m sorry. I’m not going to do that. It is our duty as citizens to be informed, to understand the presidency is not a monarchy and to question authority regardless of party lines or ideology.