“These are the times that try men’s souls” -Thomas Paine

If you ask someone on the street whether or not they support the impeachment of the President, you will certainly get a variety of answers. The polarization of the American public has become a staple of our modern political landscape, with both sides contending that the other is misinformed and malintented. Irrespective of a person’s political views, it is hard to disagree that our current political deadlock is not working for anyone. Some people would have these divisions attributed to the Commander-in-Chief, who has sparked arguments over many family dinner tables. Recently, those arguments have turned to the topic of impeachment.

A recent scandal alleges that the President withheld military aid to Ukraine in exchange for kompromat on the Bidens. A quid-pro-quo of this nature would, of course, be incredibly improper for any world leader. However, whether or not this constitutes an impeachable offense is still up for debate. Many believe that impeachment is not the answer, and have a variety of reasons for this belief. Many feel that even if it is warranted, impeachment would never be able to gain traction in the Senate due to the Republican majority and the obstruction tendencies that Mitch McConnall has repeatedly displayed. Even greater numbers of people believe that the fate of Donald Trump’s presidency ought to be decided in the ballot box, rather than in the Capitol building. To determine which is proper a look back in history might be helpful.

Richard Nixon famously resigned, during the uproar of the Watergate scandal. With impeachment looming overhead, Nixon saw a better way out. The American people were shocked and outraged over the discovery of the President’s illegal actions. Today, the American people find themselves in similar straits, faced with a similar question, whether to pursue the impeachment of a sitting president. The main difference between these two instances is that Trump will likely not back down in the way that Nixon did. Otherwise, the two are eerily similar, with both administrations attempting to thwart, stall, and otherwise delay investigations. Both have been labeled as constitutional crises. Given this, many believe that just as an impeachment would have certainly taken down Nixon, it should also be used to take down Trump. Yet, many have disagreed and come to the conclusion that the American people should rule directly on the Trump administration’s alleged wrongdoings. It has become clear that whichever path is taken, this is a moment in our history that will be long remembered. Our choices here and now will determine much of what the future holds, and as such, we must measure our actions, and always make the most informed decisions that we can.

To answer the question of whether or not President Trump should be impeached, one must evaluate all the possible outcomes of either decision. To many, the fairest way to ensure justice is to let the American people decide, while others find that the under-informed masses could spell doom for our democracy if given the chance. At the moment, there is no way to know which choice is the right one. In the future, we may be able to look back and know what was the right decision. The future is in our hands, and only we can make it happen.