by muon
Something extraordinary happened this past week in the US. I don't mean
the impeachment trial. That's been rare in American history, but not
extraordinary, except perhaps how the outcome of this one trial was reached.
But let's go back to the night before the vote, when the chamber of the US
House of Representatives sounded more like one of Hitler's rallies in the
1930s.
Every Congressperson in that chamber, whether senator or
representative, knew that almost everything coming out of Trump mouth that
night was an outright lie or exaggeration, even before the Associated Press
came out with their official fact-check the next day, yet Republicans not only
did their usual standing ovations, but they chanted aloud over and over, yelling
"Four more years!" as if they were drunken teenagers at a school
football game, cheering on their team.
In 2009, when Joe Wilson yelled "You lie!" at President Obama
during the State of the Union, the entire audience gasped and Wilson received a
formal rebuke by the House of Representatives. At last Tuesday's speech, the
only person punished for yelling out was Fred Guttenberg, a father whose
daughter had been murdered by gun violence at Parkland. Right now in America,
we punish for grief and reward for lies, deception and cheating.
Which brings us back to the Senate vote the next day. Most senators
have been to law school. They understand the law. They understand evidence, and
they all knew there was enough of it to prove Trump guilty beyond a reasonable
doubt, even without more witnesses and documents. Some GOP senators gave that
as their reasoning for not voting for more witnesses. Yet all but one GOP
senator voted Not Guilty on the both articles, and that one senator, stupidly,
voted Not Guilty on the article of obstruction, the one most easily proved.
Every one of them KNEW they were going against the law and against their oath
of office.
So what is happening in this country to make otherwise educated, (one
would hope) intelligent, and yes, mostly well-to-do men and women blindly
follow a man like Trump, who has no respect for the laws of our democracy or
even for anything close to fairness and decency? Those senators had no second
thoughts about taking on the mantle of that disrespect and lack of decency
themselves.
I'd like to believe that at least
some of those Congresspersons, even as they were chanting during the speech and
especially as they were voting "Not Guilty" the next day, had little
twinges of conscience way back in their brains, telling them "No, this
isn't how a democracy is supposed to work." But in the face of all that
blind Hitler-like devotion to their leader the last week, they seem to have
become monsters before our eyes.
Yet, I see an envy for that devotion on the Democratic side too. I
think it's why the Democrats seem to be having such a difficult time sorting
through candidates. It's not that they want someone so perfectly qualified that
victory is assured. It's that they want someone who can be put on a pedestal,
who inspires in them a willingness to follow the candidate off a cliff if
necessary. They don't think anyone can defeat Trump unless their candidate is also
like him. They want someone who'll make them "feel" a part of
something bigger than themselves, the way Trump Nation seems to -- a
charismatic golden idol who will fix everything single-handedly. Then all the voters
have to do is sit back, wave flags and cheer.
Democracy doesn't work THAT way either. We seem to be gauging potential
presidents by the size of the crowds or noise made at rallies. Rallies don't
run a government. That's obvious from the last 3+ years. Yet everyone seems to
now crave daily political drama on their newsfeeds more than a return to a sane
functioning government of the people.
What I want in a president is someone sensible enough to appoint
qualified, knowledgeable people to be in the cabinet and head the departments.
People who we can trust to get us our tax refunds and Social Security checks. People
who'll make sure our water is safe to drink and our interstate bridges are safe
to drive across. People competent enough to quickly take care of Americans
who've been through hurricanes, tornados, floods, earthquakes and wildfires.
People who'll care for separated refugee families with compassion as they do
their best to reunite children with family members. People who'll revitalize
our education system. People who'll actively work to reverse the human causes
of climate change instead of shutting down every federal research facility
studying it. People who can negotiate with foreign leaders without cooking
up back-room deals that give a select few Americans more power or wealth. People who'll protect fair elections and keep them open to all US citizens.
I think any of the Democratic front-runners can do the job. We
shouldn't stress over charisma, or even stress over differing policies right
now. The task of putting back together the tattered shreds of the current
government needs to be job one. Keep your eyes on the prize: Democracy.
We don't need a president who inspires us to chant in ecstasy when he/she
enters a room. That's not American. It's not Democracy. It's Fascism. But
remember, when you're busy voting for a president who'll preserve our democracy
next November, also vote out all the congresspeople who'd turn this country into
a dictatorship. Don't sit back, complacently waving flags, while your power –
the power of the people -- is being taken away.
