What's at stake...
the most consequential vote of a lifetime
If you missed the video which opened yet another impeachment hearing for the former president yesterday, here it is: House impeachment managers via NBC.
Richard and I were glued to the TV back on January 6 to watch the final step in what was supposed to be a peaceful transfer of power as outlined in the Constitution. What we saw that day will forever be an exclamation point in a long life.
The video the House managers presented yesterday wove the timeline together on that day, showing what was taking place outside the Chambers along with the graphics of words that incited a MAGA flag-carrying mob to march on the Capitol and ‘fight like hell,’ as their leader told them to do.
Have you been to the Capitol? Have you marched on Washington?
The Moratorium march held on November 15, 1969, was my first, and the Women’s March in 2017, the last.
The photos above portray what Democracy looks like in the United States.
We, the people, show up. We demand to be heard. We register people to vote. We run for office. We write our members of Congress. We send money to candidates we support. We do this in order to form a perfect union.
We do not break down the doors of the Capitol to alter the results of an election. That is a terrorist act, not a protest.
I staged a one-person march one day when the Affordable Care Act was under attack, showing up in Senate offices unannounced to say why it was so personal for many I care about. Of course, I only met with staffers, who pretended to listen and assured me they would pass along my comments. Having been in that staff role decades earlier, I knew it was B.S. Nevertheless, I persisted, as we say.
Senator Cory Booker was coming out of a hearing room, and we chatted as we walked down the hall. He assured me what I was doing was a good thing and to keep it up, so I did. He hadn’t announced he was running for president but winked and said, ‘see you in Iowa.’
That’s the level of security there was the last time I was in a Senate office building.
Back when I worked on the House side of the Capitol in the 1970s, the Capitol Police had boring jobs. They smiled and waved at us when we came in or left the building. They even knew my dog by name and let him in the building when he came by himself. I am not kidding. My dog knew where to find me.
I have lived in D.C., nearby Arlington, VA, and Annapolis, MD, so I have been in our nation’s Capitol a lot—as a tourist, as a resident, and sometimes as a protester. Not once have I approached that building when I did not feel awe, reverance and appreciation for the leaders who have walked those halls. I’ve felt that way even during those times when I was there to oppose or support public policy.
Do not call what happened in the Capitol on January 6 a protest. It was an attempted coup by terrorists. They are the enemies of Democracy.
In the last 20 years terrorist groups in Afghanistan (Taliban), Syria and Iraq (ISIS) have made destruction of ancient shrines a part of their warfare. Using explosives, hammers and picks they have laid waste to art and architectural treasures of those they are attacking. Scholars and historians throughout the world have been horrified by the losses.
And when the Quran has been desecrated, the entire world is placed on alert in anticipation of a massive reaction.
As a result of the assault on our nation’s symbol of democracy, the former president of the United States was impeached (twice, now) by the House and must be convicted in the Senate. He was unwilling to accept defeat and as he has done his entire life, lied to say otherwise. He illegally tried to get votes changed to overturn the will of the people, and when he failed that he summoned his supporters to attack the Capitol. Members of the congress feared for their lives and had it not been for a quick-witted, lone, Capitol Police officer, many of our elected representatives could have died that day. The mob demanded to stop the certification of the election. Had they been successful, in the mayhem, the then president could have declared Martial Law and we would no longer be a democracy.
That’s the awful reality.
Yesterday, in the well of the U.S. Senate, the attorneys representing the former president had no defense for the defenseless acts. Let’s call the two Dumb and Dumber. When the first guy got up he said he was there to “prosecute the president”, chuckled at his mistake and corrected with “represent the former president”. But it turned out he did a much better job of prosecuting his client than representing him. There does seem to be bipartisan agreement on this.
The second one, Dumber, ranted incoherently.
At the end of the day, the Motion on the constitutionality of a Senate trial went to a vote.
Question: On the Motion (Is Former President Donald John Trump Subject to a Court of Impeachment for Acts Committed While President? )
Click the link above to see if your Senator voted yay or nay.
If you are a constituent of one of these 44 Senators who voted nay, might I suggest you call the Capitol switchboard and ask to be connected to your Senator? Let them know how you feel? The number is 202-224-3121. If the voicemail comment box is full, @ them on Twitter. If you don’t know what that means, write them a letter.
We will not move on. Yet. The ONLY way for us to unify as a nation today is for 100% of the members of the Senate to vote to convict the monster who incited these riots.
And no, Senator Rubio, this process is not a waste of our time as you whined last night.
That is what democracy looks like: We show up. We demand to be heard. We register people to vote. We run for office. We write our members of congress. We send money to candidates we support. Some times we protest. Some times we come together to celebrate.
We do not break down the doors of the Capitol to alter the results of an election. That is a terrorist act of insurrection.
Members of Congress take an oath to protect and defend the United States Constitution. This is their job. It is not a waste of time.
There was a violent attack on our Capitol. People died. There was an attempted coup.
All perpetrators must be held to account, especially the former President of the United States.
Senators, this is what courage looks like:
Ok, so Senator Harkin sent the comment ‘more from Richard!’ to which I said, ‘Ok, but you must honor Krishna goddamit!’
Apparently, it is not clear how to add a comment to these posts, so let the record show, Senator Harkin says regarding my dog, Krishna, “Smartest dog I ever knew!”
I read this after watching today's proceedings. And started to cry..... again.....about what has been, what was, and what is. Tonight, I am here to honor Krishna, the wonder dog. And Senator Harkin....I sure wish you were still there, for sure!