Letter to the editor: Impeachment reserved for crimes

I am amazed at how many right-wing politicians and voters completely misunderstand, and how casually they bring up, the somber issue of presidential impeachment.

The United States impeaches our presidents for committing crimes. There is no other reason that justifies impeachment.

We can vote a president out in national elections for policies with which we disagree or failures for which we blame the president, or for any reason we may have. But impeachment is only used when our president has engaged in criminal activity.

President Nixon was impeached (or would have been had he not resigned first) for obstruction of justice. President Clinton was impeached for perjury. President Trump was impeached (twice) for illegal election interference.

We don’t impeach a president merely because he is of the other party, or because we are sore losers about the election outcome, or because we disagree with his policies.

Sadly, many elected representatives seem to have lost their perspective on this grave matter. A lunatic fringe Republican representative actually attempted to file articles of impeachment against President Biden on Jan. 21, 2021, even though Biden had not had a chance to commit an impeachable offense.

Has impeachment simply become a tool of political revenge?

Impeachment is too serious an issue to be treated in such a cavalier and capricious manner. The Constitution protects our democracy from the ignorant and irrational behavior of politicians and citizens who would advocate impeachment for less than criminal behavior.

Mary Bruce Serene

State College