In an overlong election cycle with a monumental amount of twists, shocking moments and unprecedented moments, confirming that this election will shape what “America” means for generations, it is amazing that will still have time to talk about emails. One of the continued talking points of the 2016 Presidential Election has been Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server during her time as Secretary of State, as oppose to the government provided email.
While there are legitimate discussions to be raised—such as Clinton’s insistence on privacy, areas where bureaucracy in government employee’s lives could be minimized, the necessity for universally strong digital security nation-wide—the issue has instead become a means of denouncing Clinton as vile.
There’s a lot of different ways to approach this topic: It’s just the latest—and most pathetic—chapter in the GOP’s 30 years of trying to “stop” the Clintons through expensive investigations. It’s maddening that in a year where one party has attempted to defend the internment of Japanese Americans in WWII, the misuse of an email server is considered evil. If it were any other politician, we wouldn’t care.
But instead, I wanted to make an abridged timeline of events surrounding the “Clinton Email Scandal.” I feel like looking over the last two years in America’s history is incredibly beneficial, revealing not only how insignificant the ‘scandal’ is among the sweep of two years, but reminding us of the far bigger stakes this election holds.
2015
April 19-25: Baltimore resident Freddie Grey dies of a spinal cord injury while in police custody. The mysterious circumstances and lack of transparency soon lead to protests throughout the city. Of the countless controversies surrounding the relationship between police departments and the black communities across America, this case remains one of the most egregious, given the corner’s report ruled Grey’s death a homicide, he died in police custody, and yet no one in the department was held responsible.
June 16: Real Estate Mogul Donald Trump announces his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination. With the first hours of his campaign, he proposes his signature policy: A massive wall across our border with Mexico. This introduces the first batch of xenophobia to his campaign as he denounces illegal immigrants as criminals, murderers and rapists.
June 17: At the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, nine people are shot to death during a service by a 21-year-old white supremacist. The horrifying act of domestic terrorism is a distressing reminder of the danger many people in this country face based on the color of their skin and how, despite our pretense of social progress, racism isn’t disappearing over time. The tragedy also raises the question of why the Confederate flag still flies over the Southern Carolina capitol, reigniting the discussion over the continued memorializing of the Rebels.
June 26: In a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court rules that Constitution grants the right to marriage for same sex couples. While the majority of the Republican presidential candidates decry the decision, vowing to vote for judges to overturn the decision, it is a landmark step in civil rights for the LTGBQ community. Four of the five judges who voted in favor were selected by a Democratic president, a reminder of how a left leaning Supreme Court is essential to continuing America’s social progress.
July 20: After months of negotiations and smaller diplomatic steps, the US reopens an embassy in Cuba for the first time in 54 years. This landmark step in international affairs reveals one of the secret strengths of the Obama administration: not being held back by the need to rattle old swords and hold grudges.
August 4: According to a federal official, the FBI has begun an investigation regarding the materials potentially compromised in Clinton’s server use.
September 10: With Senate Republicans unable to acquire the 60 votes needed to stop a Democratic filibuster, The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran, curtailing the country’s efforts nuclear program while lifting economic sanctions. The landmark diplomacy very well might have prevented an escalation with Iran, an idea further solidified by Republican politicians suggesting bombings would be a more acceptable response than compromise.
November 27: Robert Lewis Dear enters a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs and opens fire. Before surrendering he injures nine and kills three, including a police officer. When arrested, he allegedly mumbled “no more baby parts.” Motives for the terrorist attack seem to have been motivated by the series of highly edited ‘sting videos’ accusing Planned Parenthood of selling fetal tissues (accusations that have not only proven false, but result in the video makers being indicted). Those accusations were used by Republican candidates as a rallying cry against abortion, perhaps climaxing with Carly Fiorina demanding Obama and Clinton answer for a video of a crying fetus being left to die (a video that she has still never been able to produce).
December 2: Fourteen people are killed by a couple in San Bernardino in the deadliest mass shooting in the United States in 2015. The horrifying terrorist attack potentially raised questions as to why people on the terror watch list are able of purchase assault weapons, or what can be done to better keep radical, terroristic rhetoric of the internet, or how we can better monitor those potentially radicalized to get them the mental health treatment they need. Instead, the attack became another escalation of Islamaphobia, reaching a pinnacle when Donald Trump announced his intention to completely shut down of Muslim immigrants into the country. Other politicians suggest having police monitoring Muslim communities at all times.
2016
January 2: An armed militia take over the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. Galvanized by the Bundy’s conflicts with federal agents, the militia occupy the site over the arrest of two of their allies, who had been illegally poaching and burning federal land. The nearly month long standoff ends in a shootout with the FBI, an alarming escalation between the federal government and highly armed anti-government organizations.
January 5: President Obama introduces a collection of Executive Orders on gun control. While the mostly held enforced already standing laws, which is vital given Congress’ inaction on the matter. Given the outrage from Conservative Politicians on the use of Executive Orders, these efforts would not stand with a Republican president.
January 16: President Obama declares a state of emergency in Flint, Michigan, allowing federal agencies to help alleviate the crisis over lead contaminated water (Flint’s water is still unusable).
February 13: Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia passes away at age 79. The death of the Court’s most Conservative judge leaves a massive vacuum, creating a potential bench of five judges elected by Democratic presidents. However, Republican Senators have held steadfast in their vow not to even hold hearings for Obama’s pick, insisting that the duty should fall to the next president (perhaps the most troubling example of Republicans denying the legitimacy of Obama’s presidency, but I digress).
May 4: The Justice Department announces that North Carolina’s “Bathroom Bill” violates the Civil Rights Act. The bill in question, one of many across the country, would force transgender people to use the bathroom of their birth gender, not their chosen or current one. This, along with “Religious Freedom” acts allowing companies to discriminate against LGTBQ people on religious grounds, have become two of the biggest Civil Rights issues of this election. And given the governor’s persistence while facing a cut in federal funds, as well as many states suing the government over their ‘right’ to use these bills, fighting Transgender rights is the civil rights hill many on the right are willing to die on.
May 25: The State Department issues a critical report of Clinton’s private email use, citing policies dating back to 2005 that requires ‘day-today operations’ be conducted on government computers.
June 12: A gunman opens fire in the Pulse night club in Orlando, Killing 49 and wounding 53 in the deadliest mass shooting in US history.
June 27: A 5-3 decision by the Supreme Court strikes 2013 Texas legislation that greatly impedes access to abortions in the states. Given that Donald Trump’s running mate Mike Pence has promised to reverse Roe v Wade, abortion rights currently hinge on the leanings of the Supreme Court.
July 2: Clinton meets with the FBI for over three and a half hours.
July 5: FBI Director James Comey, while incredibly critical of Clinton’s action, does not recommend prosecuting the former Secretary of State. Despite Comey being a Republican, the party decries corruption, bringing him in for a lengthy hearing.
July 5-6: Alton Sterling, selling CDs outside a convince store in Baton Rouge, is shot by police. Multiple recordings show the man was restrained as the officer shot him. Less than 24 hours later, 32 year old Philando Castile is shot and killed during a traffic stop in Minnesota. After allegedly explaining to the officer that he had a license to carry, he reached for his ID and was shot.
July 7: During a Black Lives Matter protest, a sniper opens fire, killing five police officers and injuring nine people. What had been a peaceful event had instead turned to tragedy, a reminder that the continued lack of communication and ill-will between police officers and their communities endangers both parties. Instead, many politicians used the tragedy to further create a divide, declaring the President and Black Lives Matter were to blame.
July 8: The US State Department reopens the Email case, despite the FBI’s suggestion. Because of course they would.
July 16: Three police officers are killed while another three are injured in Baton Rouge.
July 18-21: The Republican National Convention is held. Highlights include several ‘mock trails’ of Hillary—which felt more and more like witch hunts—a platform that veers alarmingly far right on almost all social issues, cheering over no charges in the Freddie Grey case, a Trump aid saying Clinton should being publicly executed, and Trump himself giving a speech painting a picture of America being in absolute crisis.
July 25-28: The Democratic National Convention is held. As Hillary becomes the first female to accept a major party’s nomination, it becomes a striking moment in Political paradigm shifts, as the Democratic Party positions itself as the patriotic, exceptionality party. Many speakers praising America as “Already Great.” But somehow, Trump could not stay out of the spotlight. Wikileaks, believed to be helped with of Russian hackers, post a series of emails showing the DNC critical of Bernie Sanders. This causes even more fury from “Bernie-or-Bust” supporters, forcing the three DNC heads to step down (effectively taking a dive for the sake of unity). While I could probably write ten essays on how it shouldn’t be surprising that a party would prefer a candidate that is actually a member of their party, as oppose to someone who joined five months ago for publicity. How ludacris it is that despite losing by over three million votes and being beaten in delegates by every possible means of measuring, and after throwing a temper tantrum about the process being ‘rigged’—effectively handing Donald Trump his anti-establishment playbook—he has gotten virtually every concession he wanted and yet his supporters are still furious. But the bigger concern is a foreign party attempting to interfere with the election, further agitated by Trump encouraging Russia to try and spy on Clinton more.
