Guest Commentary

By Eric McKeirnan

POMEROY––When I occupied a younger body, and all the troubles of the world were my parents’ concern, movies and TV shows played a role in how I would see the world in future days. Since the recent verdict delivered in New York, a memory sparked from the past. It was a movie titled, “The Devil and Daniel Webster.” This land of the lost we now live in made me recall the gist of that movie.

The story is about an honest and well-known lawyer (Daniel Webster), who takes on a client who has sold his soul to Satan. If memory serves me, Webster is a fierce litigator but knows he has his hands full when he sees that the jury seated is straight out of Hell. The task before Webster is not just daunting, it’s impossible. The jury assembled is the scum of America’s past. There are traitors, murderers, corrupt officials, and slave traders.

Webster does what he does best and finds just the smallest spark of decency inside the wretched jurors. He shines light where no light has been. Truth had a taste which was foreign to the twelve as Webster pushes his presence upon the court. In this story, Satan is known as Mr. Scratch. It may as well have been Soros or Biden as he is known by many names. Webster calls Scratch a foreigner but Scratch retorts, “Am I not spoken of in every church in the land?”

I will share a few of Mr. Webster’s lines; he addresses the judge and objects to the jury on grounds of flagrant and open bias. Objection overruled! Mr. Scratch is given the floor openly with no interruptions and calls the defendant to the stand. In turn, Mr. Webster stands to cross examine the witness and is denied defending his client. (Sound familiar?)

All Webster is allowed is to make a final statement. Webster looks at the faces of the jurors and says, “You were present at the birth of a mighty union. It was given to you to hear the first cries of pain and behold the shining babe born of blood and tears. You all breathed free American air in your lungs and you breathed it deeply, for it was free and pure across an earth you loved. You have been told that your soul means nothing, and you believed it and you lost your freedom. Freedom isn’t just a big word.

“True Americans will be free men talking and walking under a free star. Yes! We have planted freedom in this earth like wheat and we shall say to the skies above us that a man shall own his own soul. Gentlemen of the jury, don’t let this country go to the devil, God Bless the United States and the men that made it free.” He finishes.

As it turns out, Daniel Webster wins the approval of the jury. A jury of evil and contemptible souls who knew their future was the return to the fire. Even then, there is more humanity from the lowest place known than there is in a New York courtroom.

A democrat might read this and be disheartened by righteousness prevailing, so might I suggest watching “Inherit the Wind” with Spencer Tracy, where just as in New York, darkness and ignorance is triumphant in that legal proceeding.

I watched some people celebrate the verdict given in the Trump trial. The celebrants were identical to the horde that jeered and spit upon Jesus after his trial. Jesus, you know, the convicted felon. In fact, I try to get to church weekly to worship a convicted and sentenced felon. We should all be ashamed to watch our greatness dissolve, brick by brick to arrive where we are today.

Our victories are few and far between. The left is a mighty wheel that attempts to grind our spirit. From inside the chaotic noise this administration has created, a Catholic voice with a Christian message was denounced by the NFL, yet it rings large like Daniel Webster. I dream of a land of long ago where the worries of the world were my parents’ affair. Alas, they are gone and it is left to me.