Merrick Garland comes out swinging

Marketing is a billion-dollar business. Many businesses rely almost exclusively on marketing. You see marketing on your television screens all the time. You greet marketing on your computer screens.

Marketing, however, is not your friend. Marketing has one purpose — to get you to buy into its subliminal (or sometimes not so subliminal) messaging. And this can happen in politics as well. And the marketing campaign against AG Merrick Garland has to some extent, unfortunately, been a success.

Witness all the cries of anger against him on social media. Garland sadly has become the face for many people of every wrong Donald Trump has ever done to this country. And that is due to marketing — very clever marketing.

Think about it. Think about the number of times Garland has been called a coward or “hiding under his desk.” But, when have you ever SEEN this so-called cowardice? When?

Answer — never. It’s an image. It’s the smoke and mirrors of politics. Anyone can get sucked in if they’re not paying attention. Garland has once again reiterated that the January 6 investigation is the most important he has ever worked on. He has sought to reassure. He has repeated himself countless times that nobody is above the law.

Please take a walk with me, if you will, into the life of Merrick Garland, and let’s break the particular subliminal messaging that has so skillfully been woven around Garland.

The former high school valedictorian was known for his “quiet brilliance.” And he made a name for himself. Then came the catastrophe. It was a catastrophe that killed 168 people and injured many more. It was one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in America. I speak of the Oklahoma City bombing.

And amidst the tragedy, one man said this: “Do not bury the crime in the clutter.” Joe Hartzler was the lead attorney in the case against Timothy McVeigh. He found those words so important that he wrote them down and hung them in his office. Those words were spoken by Merrick Garland — then an official with the DOJ.f

Garland also supervised the Unabomber case. Does this sound to you like a cowardly man? Of course not. Garland has been the victim of marketing. Let us not add to it by assigning him traits like cowardice and hubris. Garland is Garland — conscientious, intelligent, and accurate.