Swan Song: Your Sixth Amendment rights

There has been so much talk lately about protecting our First and Second Amendment rights -- the right to free speech and the right to keep and bear arms. But in the last few days, it appears some members of Congress are completely ignoring another article in our bill of rights -- the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution.

It guarantees a citizen a speedy trial, the right to a lawyer, a fair jury, and more importantly, a chance to confront witnesses who are accusing a defendant of a crime. It’s up for debate whether these impeachment proceedings against the president have been fair.

But one thing is clear. These proceedings were prompted by an anonymous whistleblower who has refused to testify in public or private and whose identity is known only to those in charge of the process.

To me, that smacks of partisan politics, big time, and a violation of the Sixth Amendment. As one Senator put it recently, if you are going to accuse me of a crime, I get to stare you down in court. I’ll buy tickets to that show.