One year ago, it was reported that 15 boxes of documents, including classified materials, had been retrieved from former President Donald Trump by the National Archives and Records Administration. In August, FBI agents retrieved another 33 boxes and containers from Mar-a-Lago.
There has been much debate since then as to whether Trump had the right to take these documents, some of which reportedly were considered "top secret," as well as whether any were properly declassified. Discussion also has focused on how these documents were stored, and where, as well as who had access to them.
In November, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Jack Smith to investigate the retention of these documents, as well as aspects of other probes involving the events of Jan. 6, 2021 and the 2020 election.
There, of course, has been much wringing of hands from the "political right" over all of this.
Then, this past week, it was revealed classified materials had been found in November at offices previously used by current President Joe Biden, as well as at his home in Deleware, including in the garage and his personal library. The records reportedly were from Biden's time as vice president. Garland, within a couple of days, appointed Robert Hur to lead the investigation into this discovery.
As expected in our current political climate, there has been a great deal of back and forth over these two investigations. Some see it as vindication of the former president, while others are calling for the current president to be impeached. Allies of Biden, meanwhile, push for the investigations against Trump to continue, while pointing to what they say has been a cooperative nature related to the Biden document discovery.
None of us today know the full scope of either investigation. We don't know all of the details of how many documents are involved, what types of records they were, or anything else for that matter. There may be information we never find out, simply because of the nature of these documents.
What I would like all of us to consider, though, is the possibility that both "sides" in this issue were wrong. It is possible for both former President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden to have acted improperly by possessing the respective documents. It is possible for neither of them to have had the right to keep these records, which may or may not have been declassified.
All too often, we look at issues through a political lense. It's not whether something is morally or ethically wrong, or legal or illegal, it's whether an action was taken by a Democrat or Republican and that informs whether it is good or bad.
I've often written about my disdain for our nation's political system. It's not about the way we vote for our representatives, it's about how we have allowed politicians to divide the people by turning everything into an "us versus them" situation.
A bad action is still a bad action, no matter if it is done by a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent, or a flying pig. We all need to be able to take off the red or blue glasses pushed by politicians and look at an issue through the lens of simply being a person.
Eventually, these investigations will conclude. I'm certain not everyone will be happy with the results, but I ask that we each take some time to think about whether it is because of the evidence or the political party affiliated with the individual.
(Howell, a resident of Colliers, is managing editor of The Weirton Daily Times, and can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com or followed on Twitter @CHowellWDT)