The rule of law is fundamental to American society, and essentially any other democratically run civilization throughout history. The law implies that every citizen of a nation is equal under and subject to the law. Throughout recent history, the world has observed legal systems globally being weaponized, internally dismantled, and overthrown due to a disregard for the rule of law. The massive implications one individual believing that they are above the law has on a society can be detrimental. The prime example in American history, suggested by Billy Joel’s, “We Didn’t Start The Fire”, is that of Richard Nixon.
“We Didn’t Start The Fire”, is not only a great tune, it serves a purpose, social commentary in a time where artists, politicians, lawmakers, the rich, and the poor, were all spouting opinions and changing the trajectory of human (mainly American) history. Billy Joel uses the song as a vessel for the simple yet effective message that in 1989, the issues of the day were only continuations and variations of past issues on both national and global scales. In our most recent project, we discussed how this vessel operates, and more importantly why the events mentioned within it were chosen. Why are they significant, and are the fires still burning? I, with a potent interest in political espionage, chose to do my research project on the Nixon Administration and Watergate.
The Watergate Scandal’s significance is undeniable, especially now that the United States has faced a similar powerhouse with Donald Trump. I interviewed senior researcher at the Miller Center, and professor at the University of Virginia, Ken Hughes, for my research. His take on the scandal and more importantly the illegal coverup completely altered my perception of the event. The most notable components of the Watergate Scandal are not found within the break in itself, rather the point at which the blanket pardon given to Richard Nixon by Gerald Ford changed America’s focus of the past, to the future. This is what Ken helped me understand. At this point in history, (1972-1974), American culture is at an all time high. The uprising of new media, music, films, activism, really it was the birth of an era. The intertwining of the American atomic era (1946-1969) and the new anti-war era, (1968-1977), birthed a government determined to stay in power solely for the sake of power. Watergate was an effort to keep Nixon in office for a second term, and while it worked, the final result, Richard Nixon being put above the law, the breaking of the fundamental rule of law, that is what permanently altered the American public’s perception of it’s government bodies.
All this research wasn’t just for the sake of my learning, I of course had to share it. However not only with my teacher and peers. The final product was to be a page on a communal website for teachers. Our research project was to act as a lesson plan. With the help of a template, I transferred the knowledge into a teachable lesson plan with resources such as a keynote, presenter notes, videos, and assignments. The final component in that was to actually teach. Each of my peers took a turn presenting and I had the pleasure of learning about a broad set of 20th century historical events. When I presented I felt I conveyed the knowledge I’d gained well enough to seed an understanding, although the topic has so much depth that I wish I’d have structured it better to allow for more comparison to the current American political landscape.
Richard Nixon and Donald Trump
Through this project, I not only got to take initiative with my learning and work, I also felt very confident in my ability to convey what I’d learned to an audience. We were given 30 minute time slots for our lessons and I found it incredibly difficult to come to a close. In reality I’d expect a teacher to use my material for several classes to allow for a more whole, complete understanding of the rule of law and it’s vitality to American society. Luckily most of my peers already had a fairly solid understanding of it, so I could just jump into the nitty gritty of the scandal.
This topic and time in history is simply so fun to learn about, whether it be self directed or structurally taught. One of my favourite things about 20th century history is its relativity to today. With almost every event that was covered, there is a comparable event in the 21st century to examine. My final note on this is really just an echo of something my interviewee, Ken Hughes, said. “We the American people were, and are still struggling to preserve our heritage, which is that we are free citizens of the republic, and equal in the eyes of the law.” This is a heavy note to end on, but within it is so much truth. Richard Nixon is the classic example of presidential abuse of power, but even now we have observed arguably worse disregard for the rule of law in the United States. All in all, it seems like politics have a bit of a cycle. Like fashion, trends come and go, as do these extreme examples of political abuses of power. Finally, if you’d like to learn more about the Watergate Scandal itself, check out my site and lesson plan here.
