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If Republicans in Congress and Republicans nationwide continue to take as the gospel truth, and then promote "The Big Lie" of a criminal sociopath, it's possible that, at some point, the cherished emblem of our nation will be painted with fewer "bright stars." And although the red, white and blue of "Old Glory" will still "wave, o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave," it might not fly over certain meadows and metropolises that are now part of the United States of America.
The unscrupulous Donald Trump and his brainwashed Trumpism cheerleaders
- some of whom are revolutionists - are slowly, but then again perhaps quickly, shredding our Star Spangled Banner. The narcissistic Trump is hellbent to take command of our country; not as its president, but as its supreme ruler.
While in The White House, Trump envisioned his power and position of our republic to be exactly the opposite to what our Founders created. Instead, he believes in a dictatorship, comparable to that of North Korea, and that he sees himself in a role on par with Kim Jong-un.
Remember that on June 15, 2018, Trump - with a serious tone - told Fox News that he wants Americans to treat him as North Koreans do Kim. "He's the head of a country, and I mean, he's the strong head. Don't let anyone think different. He speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same." Republicans wanted to spin it that Trump was joking. It is not at all funny for the president of the United States to jest that he wants to be dictator. But Trump has proved time and time again that it is undoubtedly his desire and his goal.
Trump has given birth to a loyal, yet volatile, society that may spawn the formation of a non-democratic government with the evil tyrant Trump as its imperial monarch. It's apparent to me that Trump's aim is to somehow pattern a polity and culture with he as its high priest, and his disciples the populace.
Republicans who embrace Trump and his deceptions are delusional; and to put any truth in his inane and insane conspiracy theory is a stab in the back of American patriotism.
It's what the then President-elect Joe Biden called a "mob of thugs."
At the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, GOP nominee Trump didn't tell his supporters - and Americans overall - to put their faith in God, or to have confidence in Trump's entire administration after he's elected. Trump didn't even suggest that the people of our great nation trust each other in helping to move our country forward. But the egomaniacal Trump boasted, "I alone can fix it." Well, he failed. Instead, he alone broke it. In addition, it was Trump - and he alone - who is responsible for domestic terrorists to uncontrollably rampage our sanctuary of liberty in a bloodbath of ugliness.
For weeks before, Trump solicited his cult-like, die-hard devotees to swarm our national capital city as if they were wild killer bees. He emblazed with fire and fury an unconscionable explosion of irate rioters who savagely orchestrated a siege on the predominant citadel of America's democracy. Trump betrayed his presidential pledge to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States" when he provoked a bloodthirsty band of beasts to brutally and barbarically invade the hallowed halls and the stately and sacred seat of our federal government's legislative branch.
then vice president of the United States - Mike Pence - were scheduled to perform their constitutional duty under the 12th Amendement to certify and confirm the 2020 Electoral College votes. Any American who applauds Trump's ruthless, reckless, and sadistic behavior needs to re-think their own citizenship, because defending Trump is tantamount to being a traitor to our country.
But now - more than six months since Democratic nominee Joe Biden was declared the winner - dozens of Republican state legislatures are attempting to enact measures that will make it much more difficult for people to vote. Lawmakers have introduced upwards of 300 or more bills with restrictive provisions as Republicans lodge an outright attack on American democracy. And that's exactly what this is. As such, I make reference to the word democracy several times throughout this column.
word too. It's racism. As Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer - Democrat from New York - tweeted on May 10, 2021, "We should make it easier for people to vote - not harder."
Donald Trump and his "Big Lie" have concocted a colossal calamity that must be crushed by
Congress. H.R.1: The For The People Act of 2021 passed in the House of Representatives on March 3. Before President Biden can sign the measure in to law, it must pass the Senate. But
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell isn't going to make it easy. The Kentucky Republican isn't giving President Biden and the Democrats anything on a silver platter. Therefore, the archaic Senate filibuster has got to be abolished. However, it will still mean that all 50 Senate Democrats need to
agree, and that way Vice President Kamala Harris can break the tie to defeat the 50
Republicans. It's Democratic Representative Adam Schiff of California who is absolutely accurate with his ardent analysis from May 7. "We need to ensure the Grim Reaper of the Senate (Mitch McConnell) can't add hundreds of progressive bills to his legislative graveyard. The filibuster is not a healthy check and balance. It's a roadblock to progress."
Despite the fact that there has never been any evidence to prove Trump's claim that the 2020 presidential election had been stolen from him, 76 percent of self-identified Republicans are convinced there was "widespread fraud," and that President Biden was not legitimately elected in November of last year. It's mind-boggling to think that more than three-quarters of Republicans across America have come to the illogical and irrational conclusion that Trump's fabrications and fantasies are not lies, but truths. The recent Quinnipiac University national poll shows that three of every four Republicans are in lockstep with Trump and his venomous falsehoods; notwithstanding that at least 60 lawsuits contesting election processes, ballot counting, and vote certifications, were lost by Trump and others who filed on his behalf. But those lawsuits were doomed from the get-go, as Trump's vile allegations were - and still are - baseless and bogus. That's why judges in multiple states - including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin - threw the suits out of court due to lack of evidence. In addition, constitutional and legal scholars described the lawsuits as everything from "frivolous" to "without merit." Ironically, most of the jurists who either dismissed or dropped the cases were on the bench because they had been previously appointed by Trump.
Trump is so mentally deranged, and so enraged with animosity, that he's determined to seek and get revenge. Of course Trump is wrong to want any retaliation against President Biden and the Democrats. Anyone with an ounce of credibility and integrity knows that Mr. Biden legally, morally, and ethically beat Trump in the 2020 election. But Trump's toxic tongue has poisoned the minds of millions of Americans, and he has infected our democratic process with the rabidness of a mad dog.
More importantly to Trump's ego is not the win of the presidency itself, but Trump making certain that his legacy is protected. Trump's success - and whatever is best for him - is all that Trump ever cares about. If he can overthrow the government of a state - perhaps a state like Florida, where the current governor wants nothing more than to be the heir apparent to the Trump throne - then it could be the beginning of Trump's reign of terror as emperor of his own principality. And afterwards, Trump is capable of attempting to follow Adolf Hitler's playbook by invading other adjacent states.
Donald Trump needs to be stopped. He is not above the law; although he may think so. The United States Department of Justice cannot allow him to escape prosecution for his past crimes, nor can Trump be permitted to have any possible opportunity to either run a campaign for president in 2024, or to design, organize, and lead a coup, whereby he could gain control of a state government and take power as its sole authority. Our country is a democracy, not an autocracy.
Since the summer of 1959, America has 50 states. Imagine our 21st century American Flag with only 49 stars. And what if Trump could take over the government of more than one state? Imagine our Stars and Stripes with only 48 stars. Or 47. Or less.
Some of you may think that I'm writing a totally fictional and far-fetched fable for a Hollywood motion picture screenplay. Just remember that nobody (oh, maybe there were a few people), but basically nobody who thought there was a snowball's chance in hell for Hillary Clinton to lose to Donald Trump. Even Trump himself - who hadn't prepared a victory speech - didn't think he'd end up with the keys to The Oval Office. Former Secretary of State Clinton was expected to be elected the
first woman president of the United States. Well, if Trump does have a notion to somehow seize one or more states for his own corrupt colony, federal law enforcement officials need to quell such a rebellion before it even gets started. And prosecuting attorneys, a judge and a jury need to provide the flagrantly wicked real estate wheeler-dealer with a long-term lease at a house that's jam-packed with roommates and decorated with lots of bars on the doors and windows. Otherwise, who knows what could happen? We were wrong about Trump in 2016. Let's not be wrong again.
And that's The Controversy for today.
I'm Gary B. Duglin.
"We'll talk again."
The Controversy is a publication of GBD Productions. Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Controversy is Gary B. Duglin.
Please express your personal opinions by following the instructions printed at the top of this column. And thank you for reading The Controversy.
Photo credits:
1 - ChamberOfCommerce.org (American Flag with 46 stars)
2 - Patrick Semansky/The Associated Press (Donald Trump)
3 - NBC News Screenshot (Supreme Leader of North Korea Kim Jong-un)
4 - NBCUniversal and Mark Burnett Productions (The Apprentice)
5 - Jon Cherry/Getty Images (The Capitol Siege)
6 - Susan Walsh/The Associated Press (President Joe Biden while he was President-elect)
7 - PBS News Hour Screenshot (Donald Trump)
8 - Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call (The Capitol Siege)
9 - Jacquelyn Martin/The Associated Press (Donald Trump with rally crowd)
10 - Stephanie Keith/Reuters (The Capitol Siege)
11 - Getty Images (Former Vice President Mike Pence)
12 - NBC News Screenshot (Arizona Governor Doug Ducey)
13 - Wilfredo Lee/The Associated Press (Florida Governor Ron DeSantis)
14 - Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images (Georgia Governor Brian Kemp)
15 - MSNBC Screenshot (Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer)
16 - Stefani Reynolds/Pool/Getty Images (President Joe Biden)
17 - Leah Millis/Reuters (Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell)
18 - Bloomberg via Getty Images (Vice President Kamala Harris)
19 - Joshua Roberts/Reuters (Representative Adam Schiff)
20 - Gage Skidmore/Flickr (Donald Trump and Adolf Hitler)
21 - Justin Sullivan/Getty Images (Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton)
22 - Yves Herman/Reuters (Donald Trump)
Copyright 2021 Gary B. Duglin and TheControversy.net. All Rights Reserved.
This blog has officially become the leftist equivalent of QAnon conspiracy theorists. You really have "drank the Kool-Aid", as they say. Wow. Hyperbole and conspiracy thinking so dense, I could cut it with a knife.
ReplyDeleteI'm always amazed when I read comments from readers or talk to people in person who say I must be "drinking the Kool-Aid." First of all, you must have very little faith in the American people that we can think for ourselves. You and others who use that phrase seem to believe that I and other individuals can't form our own opinions based on the facts.
DeleteSecondly, "drinking the Kool-Aid" has a terrible connotation. It was Jim Jones in 1978 who orchestrated a mass murder/suicide where he and 918 members of his cult commune (including 304 children) died in Jonestown, Guyana after drinking Flavor Aid (a non-carbonated soft drink similar to Kool-Aid) that was mixed with cyanide poison. Nobody - such as yourself - should joke around and use the "Kool-Aid" expression for political purposes.
Thirdly, I do not embrace any conspiracy theories and, therefore, none of my editorials - in any way - share the lunacy of "QAnon conspiracy theorists." Everything in my column above - with regards to the January 6, 2021 insurrection at The U.S. Capitol - is true and factual. There is no debating it. And if you think that something is not 100 percent correct then you're living in a world other than this one. However, that being said, my comments pertaining to Donald Trump wanting to take over the government of a state (or multiple states) and become emperor, dictator, supreme leader of a new nation are my personal views based on language expressed by the egomaniacal Trump. This man needs to be put away so that he can't hurt our country; that is, any more than he already has. Congress and the U.S. Department of Justice need to get a move-on to keep Trump from having any opportunity to achieve his goals. Federal prosecutors from the Southern District of New York, officials in Georgia, and officials in the State of New York - specifically the attorney general of New York State - have indicated their intentions to file charges against Trump and to take him down. HARD!!! But they better get their butts in gear because 2024 will be here before we know it. President Biden is already doing a first-rate job while sitting behind The Oval Office desk, and I'm confident that he will prove his excellence everyday that he is President. But Americans are fickle and have a short memory. It's up to smart people all across our country to continue reminding everyone how Trump lied to us 30,573 times in four years - according to The Washington Post. And the worst lie of all was to not inform us about a deadly disease when he knew a national and global health crisis was brewing months before a national emergency and a global pandemic was declared. Nearly 600,000 Americans are now dead from COVID-19, and our economy was pummeled. None of this would have been as bad if Trump had been honest. To this day, Trump lies about the 2020 election. He knows damn well that he legally lost to President Biden. There was no election fraud. Trump knows that. But he will continue to lie because that's what Trump does. And for some reason, Trump's loyal followers still support him; even though I've got to believe that they too know the truth. Law enforcement and state officials nationwide - not to mention the U.S. Department of Justice - plus Trump's own attorney general and acting attorney general - have stated the election was legitimate and proper with no widespread fraud.
My column speaks for itself. Donald Trump is mentally ill. I just hope justice is served before he's able to sway more people in to thinking that he's not.
GBD
I agree with the first commenter. You are still just pushing your BS conspiracy theories and displaying your TDS. All of your "facts" are totally false and have been proven to be totally false, but you insist on continuing to repeat them as fact. The sooner you realize and admit to yourself that Biden is a senile weak man that has caused more damage to the country and the world in 100 short days than any other president in american history, the better off you'll be. Trump brought us to greatness once again and lives rent free in your head. Your clown is dragging us down. Please consider dropping this stupid blog of yours. You obviously don't know what you are talking about. Personally I hope Trump sues the hell out of you for defamation for making claims about his mental health with no facts or evidence (Gee, just like his fake impeachments). Of course, that's all you liberals use as your playbook. Biden, and possibly you and your ilk are the mentally ill crowd. Give it up, Gary. You're toast
DeleteLOL! You're a very funny person. Really. I won't even dignify your moronic comments with much of a response, except to say that President Biden has done more good and "great(ness)" for America in 100 days than Donald Trump did in four years. But then, since Trump did absolutely nothing good or "great," the United States was ahead of the game the very first second after President Biden was sworn in on January 20. People like you posted comments for four years saying that Trump would be re-elected in a landslide against any Democrat. They, of course, were wrong. America needs and wants a leader who cares about EVERYONE, not a profane and obscene narcissist who is out to help only himself. You can spew your venom about my column (not a "stupid blog" since I'm a journalist for nearly 50 years), but President Biden has restored the respect we lost with Trump and the nations of the world are recognizing it. I won't repeat the remarks that I made to the earlier reader, except to say that ALL MY FACTS concerning the January 6 insurrection are true and accurate. That's why they are FACTS. I hope I'm wrong about my prediction regarding Trump and his desire to take over a state (or more). But hopefully he'll be in prison, long before he has the chance to do additional damage to our country; that is any more than he already has. GBD
DeleteExtremists, of all stripes, left or right, should be regarded with skepticism by anyone who actually cares about the Truth and Facts.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who is as overtly and blindly partisan on every issue, as you are, is to be taken with a grain of salt. Why? Because a partisan agenda is not about truth, it's about power.
The TRUTH is never as simple, black and white as partisans would have us believe. The partisan's assertions are often overtly stated, with many exclamations, coupled with wide-eyed, mouth frothing passion.
Dispassionate, middle of the road, nuanced commentary, is always the most convincing. Those who write in that way often "steel man" their opponent's arguments, in an effort to formulate the most convincing and sound counterarguments.
Overtly partisan commentators such as yourself, on the other hand, "straw man" their opponents, in addition to engaging in other basic logical fallacies. In other words, they falsely represent their opponents positions, and then argue against the made-up position that they want to argue against. The oldest trick in the book of argumentation.
Partisan arguments do nothing to advance constructive discourse on any issue. They play into tribal political sentiments, and are nothing more than a device to stroke the egos of partisan players.
My reply to the above reader will be in THREE PARTS.
DeletePART ONE OF THREE
It's mind-boggling when I read remarks from a person who can't take a stand and can't take a side when truth and facts are staring you in the face. I am not at all apologetic for my political views. For years I have self-described myself as an ultra-progressive liberal Democrat. That does not make me "overtly and blindly partisan." That makes me a steadfast believer of what I personally think is best for the United States of America.
I have no agenda and I am not seeking any power. I share my views based on the facts of a specific issue. I realize that in the divided, polarized country that we live in that I'm not going to persuade, influence or change the minds of someone who is as dug in to an issue as most Republicans are today. Independents, on the other hand, seem to sway with the wind. They couldn't believe the truth about Hillary Clinton in 2016, that she was not guilty of anything criminal, and it was proven numerous ways by Congress and by the FBI. Plus, a multitude of prosecuting attorneys nationwide agreed with Capitol Hill lawmakers and federal law enforcement agents. Yet Independents were sucked in by Donald Trump and brainwashed to believe that he would give them a better life. They soon realized how wrong they were to cast their ballots for a profane, obscene and vulgar narcissist who had no interest whatsoever in making their lives better. He just wanted their votes.
In the screenplay for the motion picture, Biloxi Blues, Neil Simon wrote for his character Arnold Epstein (played by actor Corey Parker) that "You have to get in the middle of it. You have to take sides. Make a contribution to the fight. Any fight. The one you believe in." I will paraphrase Mr. Simon's words by saying that it's important in life to take a stand - any stand - the one you believe in. But to stick with that belief. And just for the record, I don't ALWAYS agree with every Democratic politician; and there have been times when I have applauded specific Republican politicians for the jobs they have performed. But when it comes to Donald Trump, it sickens me that anyone can still support a man who has betrayed our country and - from the get-go - had no intention to live up to the oath he took as president of the United States. Trump was adamant that he had the ultimate authority to do what he wanted and when he wanted to do it. Case in point was on April 13, 2020. "When somebody is the president of the United States, the authority is total. And that's the way it's got to be. It's total."
GBD
END OF PART ONE OF THREE
PART TWO OF THREE
ReplyDeleteTrump lied to us about the coronavirus, when he knew as early as November 2019 that U.S. military intelligence had been investigating the possibility of a disease that could infect the world. And when no fewer than three of his own Cabinet members warned him about COVID-19 in January and February 2020, Trump refused to be transparent with the American public. He never declared a national health emergency until March 13, 2020; two days after the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic on March 11. To make matters worse, Trump called coronavirus a "hoax" that was dreamed up by the Democrats, and he announced to the nation that mask-wearing was a joke and, therefore, not necessary. I won't say much - except this - about Trump's insane remarks about injesting or injecting bleach or some other household disinfectant to clean out the lungs and kill the virus from within. "I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute, one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside, or almost a cleaning? As you see, it gets in the lungs. It does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it would be interesting to check that." Any sane individual knows that the idea of injecting or consuming any type of household cleanser is not only dangerous, but lethal. It would be suicide. And quite frankly, there have been many cases of people killing themselves by using such a method. The companies that produce Lysol and Clorox pleaded with people after Trump made his moronic comment that there should never be a time for internal use of any of their cleaning products. So come on. How can anyone put this man on a pedestal? God only knows (and perhaps He questions it too) why there are still millions of Americans who embrace Donald Trump and who would vote for him again if he has the chance to run for president in 2024.
Beyond COVID-19, Trump bragged before the 2020 election that if he's told he lost, it had to mean the Democrats cheated because there's no way he can lose. It was August 2020 when Trump boasted, "The only way we're going to lose this election is if the election is rigged." The result - after he honestly and legally lost - Trump incited violence when he provoked his fanatical followers to riot The U.S. Capitol. All Trump needed to do was graciously concede an election that election officials in every state said was secure, lacked any widespread fraud, and was completely aboveboard. Even the FBI, the Department of Justice, and two of Trump's chief law enforcement officers - the attorney general and the acting attorney general who succeeded him - both stated categorically that there was no evidence whatsoever of fraud, and that Joe Biden was legally elected to The White House. I won't reiterate the facts of January 6, but there is nothing that I have written here, or in my column above, or in any previous editorials that I've penned about the insurrection that has not been totally true. And yet, a Republican U.S. congressman falsely claimed on May 12 that the insurrection - the siege of The Capitol where people died - was nothing more than a "normal tourist visit." Representative Andrew Clyde of Georgia is disgusting and disgraceful. Either that, or he's simply out-of-his-mind and crazy.
GBD
END OF PART TWO OF THREE
PART THREE OF THREE
ReplyDeleteAll this could have been avoided if Republicans in the then Republican-controlled U.S. Senate had held Donald Trump accountable by convicting him, following Trump's second impeachment by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives on January 13, 2021. Of course, if Senate Republicans had convicted Trump for obstruction of justice and abuse of power after his first impeachment on December 18, 2019, the pandemic would never have been as destructive as it has been. As much as I don't agree with the politics or the personal beliefs of Mike Pence, I do feel that he would have trusted military intelligence and his Cabinet members by informing the American people three or four months before Trump did. And that would have saved lives and also might have reduced the economic disaster that Trump put us in.
Passion is a vital emotion in life. It's certainly a necessary element in politics. "Dispassionate, middle of the road, nuanced commentary" doesn't cut it in 2021, and it probably never did; certainly not in modern times. But there can be compromise with people who are willing to do so. I, in my personal life, family life, and business life, have compromised many times throughout my existence on this planet. Democrats and Republicans in national politics, state politics and local politics have compromised in the past. But when there's a U.S. senator who - when he was Senate majority leader - insisted in 2010 that "The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president," and then on May 5, 2021, that same Senator Mitch McConnell - now the Senate Minority Leader, made a similar statement. "One-hundred percent of my focus is on stopping this new administration" of President Joe Biden. McConnell is nauseating. He, along with some of his cronies such as Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham - among others, have no desire to compromise with President Biden, no desire to compromise with the now Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, and Republicans in the House of Representatives have no desire to compromise with Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Republicans want it their way or no way at all.
I have not "falsely represent(ed)" the Republicans. The record - including network video tapes - prove my arguments.
My objective is not "to stroke the egos of partisan players." My objective is not to stroke my own ego. My objective is to express my own thoughts about issues that are relevant to national and world affairs, and base those thoughts on facts. I believe that's what I have done for nearly 9 years of writing columns for The Controversy. I know that's what I have done.
GBD
END OF PART THREE OF THREE
So many "facts" you list above are nothing but "interpretations" of events, presented as facts. Interpretations of events, that were then reported on in a slanted and misleading way, and then the REPORTING is taken as the fact. Not the actual thing itself.
ReplyDeleteAlso, using words like "insurrection" to describe January 6th are editorial choices meant to convey an OPINION about what happened. The TRUTH of the matter is that the vast majority of people at the Capitol that day were NOT engaging in violent behavior. They were protesting, and yes some, were rioting and breaking the law. And they should be held accountable.
I do not agree with another 9/11 style Homeland Security overreach and abuse of civil liberties, such as what occurred under the Bush Administration, in order to "investigate" "domestic terrorists". That sounds exactly like Putin, investigating his political enemies as "domestic terrorists".
If a bunch of BLM protestors did what those Trump supporters did on January 6th, would you still be calling it an insurrection? Would you be calling for an investigation into "domestic terrorism"? I doubt it. You would be bending over backwards to defend it, just like the rest of the leftist media defends looting and rioting in American cities by BLM.
You care about political power just like every other partisan. Truth, facts, or ethics be damned!
My reply to the above reader will be in FIVE PARTS.
DeletePART ONE OF FIVE
Let me tell you a little something about facts. Facts are facts. Truth is truth. You cannot "interpret" facts. And the facts about January 6, 2021 were witnessed by all of America and by most of the world.
The "interpretation" of facts sounds like the ultra-crazy lunatic Kellyanne Conway when she - in January 2017 - told Chuck Todd on NBC's Meet The Press that there are "alternative facts." The notion that Republicans and Donald Trump believe that there can be "alternative facts" is not only ludicrous, but downright moronic. To refresh the memories of those readers who may not remember, Conway made the "alternative facts" statement when she defended then White House press secretary Sean Spicer's bogus remark about Trump's inauguration having a bigger crowd size than any other world leader EVER. Spicer falsely insisted that, "This (Trump's inauguration) was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period; both in person and around the globe." But again, facts are facts. Photos and video from the Trump ceremony show a fewer amount of people in attendance than President Barack Obama's inauguration on January 20, 2009. Allow me to repeat myself again because it's worth repeating. Facts are facts. There cannot be "alternative facts." And there cannot be alternative truths. Thus, there is no way to have a variation on the facts or an "interpretation" of the facts.
There is no debating what Donald Trump did with regards to the insurrection - and yes, it was an insurrection; a violent insurrection. And that is not "editorial(izing)." Trump is a scumbucket who has no care or interest in doing anything for the United States of America or for the people in our country. Trump is only interested in himself; and his narcissism and egotism have been proven time and time again.
There is no "OPINION" that can be made about the siege of the U.S. Capitol, and it's nauseating that Republicans are, in fact, hiding from the truth. But that's Donald Trump's fault. He is fully to blame. However, that being said, if you truly believe that, "The TRUTH of the matter is that the vast majority of people at the Capitol that day were NOT engaging in violent behavior," then you have no sense of understanding the legal definition of "violent behavior." Each and every one of those people were NOT simply protesting. They unlawfully attacked the Capitol. They rioted our citadel of democracy. They are domestic terrorists who broke the law. Each person needs to be held accountable; some need to be punished much more severely than others. But they were all performing an illegal activity. Peaceful protest is permissable. A person would have to be blind and deaf to believe any action on January 6 was peaceful.
GBD
END OF PART ONE OF FIVE
PART TWO OF FIVE
DeleteTimes they are a changing for the better because of President Joe Biden. Americans, as a whole, are embracing President Biden, and our nation is becoming more and more "United." But Donald Trump needs to legally be taken out of the picture in order for America to continue moving forward. With two impeachment trials, Republicans in Congress put Trump over country. Without Trump, the Republican Party would return to being the party of Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, and John McCain, where Republicans in Congress, Republicans in state and local governments, and Republicans nationwide, were not haters. Trump has created a base of people who - as I like to say - have been brainwashed by him. The U.S. Department of Justice and/or the New York State attorney general and/or the Manhattan district attorney in New York City need to do what Republicans in Congress - specifically the U.S. Senate - refused to do. Convict Donald Trump; for he is a malicious madman who belongs in prison for inciting violence and, therefore, contributing to the deaths of seven people, including three police officers. To paraphrase Stephen Colbert, "Trump will soon find out that breaking the law is illegal." As long as Trump is around, Republicans on Capitol Hill are going to remain intimidated, and their fears for Trump will continue to drown the Republican Party and eventually drag it in to oblivion.
Trump's cheerleaders and henchmen rioted in an attempt to destroy America's democracy and our democratic election process. There is no disputing this "fact." This is a no-brainer. And - quite frankly - I'm totally amazed that any American - be them Republican, Independent or Democrat - would not want Trump to be held responsible for committing high crimes against our country. Trump needs to be legally penalized. The Republicans in the U.S. Senate wouldn't do it after Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives impeached Trump; not only once, but twice. Now it's up to prosecutors and the courts. Trump has never acted for political purposes. His performance has always been for personal reasons and in ways to benefit himself and to be the supreme ruler of a nation; just as Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong-un. Trump has admitted these "facts." As I wrote in my column above, Trump, on June 15, 2018 - and with a serious tone - told Fox News that he wants Americans to treat him as North Koreans do Kim. "He's the head of a country, and I mean, he's the strong head. Don't let anyone think different. He speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same." The video is available online if you never saw it.
GBD
END OF PART TWO OF FIVE
PART THREE OF FIVE
DeleteThere is plenty of evidence to make a case against Donald Trump. And there is lots more evidence to be found that would prove even more that Trump (and others) need to be prosecuted and convicted. We all have lived through Trump's lies about COVID-19, Trump's "Big Lie" about the 2020 election, and Trump's solicitation and demands as he commanded his cult-like troops to follow his orders. In my January 13, 2021 column, I wrote, "When the crowd was gathered outside The White House for a rally, in the noontime hour of January 6th, Trump, in essence, commanded the people to head up the street - up Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC - to let Congress know exactly how they feel. Trump's words: 'We will never concede. It doesn't happen. You don't concede when there's theft involved. Our country has had enough. We will not take it anymore...You will have an illegitimate president (with Joe Biden)...This is what you will have, and we can't let that happen...We will stop the steal...If you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore.' This rowdy group of of rabble-rousers were already emblazed with fire and fury; having amassed on the Ellipse since early morning. But it's not uncommon for Donald Trump to add fuel to an intense inferno. This time, the 'arsonist-in-chief' lit a match and tossed it into a tank of gasoline, and thus an explosion of irate rioters ran amok through The Capitol in a shameful demonstration that they hoped would validate an election-losing president who relentlessly lies about a 'landslide' win for himself. With emotions high, police officers and National Guard soldiers - complete with tear gas - were summoned, and with guns drawn, Washington, DC was reminiscent of past civil unrest and disobedience throughout Europe."
Despite what you may think - based on your comments above - my thoughts would be the same whether the people rioting on January 6 were Trump's mobster gangbangers or supporters of Black Lives Matter. Yes, I would still be labeling the assault on the U.S. Capitol an insurrection, and I would be insisting that a investigation commission be established. One more point, though. And I will stop short to calling you a racist because I don't know you, and I don't know anything about you and your personal views except for the five paragraphs you wrote above. However, please understand that when you make accusations against people who are Black, or those who support Black and Brown individuals or any other person who is not White, then your remark is racist. By you writing, "If a bunch of BLM protestors did what those Trump supporters did on January 6th, would you still be calling it an insurrection?" That comment alone is racist. Please think about that the next time you ask such a question. Again, I am not in any way calling you a racist. So please don't write back and state that I offended you or blamed you for something that you may or may not be. However, the content of your remark is certainly racist.
America cannot let Donald Trump get away with committing these crimes against our nation. It's mind-boggling that 70 to 85 percent of Republicans throughout our country (depending on which poll anyone wants to trust) believe that Joe Biden is not really President of the United States and that Trump needs to be re-instated back in to office. This is insanity! President Biden was certified as the 46th President of the United States by all 50 states, by the Electoral Collge, by the U.S. Senate, and by then vice president of the United States (as the then president of the Senate). A non-elected president - such as Donald Trump - cannot constitutionally be "re-instated" back in to office. It is beyond baffling that so many millions of Americans are unaware of that "fact."
GBD
END OF PART THREE OF FIVE
PART FOUR OF FIVE
DeleteIt's traitorous that only 6 of the 50 Republicans in the U.S. Senate and only 35 of the 213 Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of a January 6 commission to investigate the insurrection. With a simple majority required in the House, we didn't need all Republicans to agree with Democrats. But, as you may or may not know, the Senate - because of the filibuster - needs 60 votes. Thus the filibuster is killing progress in America. But that's another debate. Every single Member of both chambers should have voted to approve a January 6 investigation commission. But most Republicans don't want to know who among them were responsible for organizing such a siege. It's unconscionable to think that lawmakers don't want to learn how many people in Congress and in the Trump administration were party to creating such devastation in our country. A bipartisan commission is what the vast majority of Americans have wanted. People scream and yell that we lack bipartisanship in America today. It's the Republicans that don't want it. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will eventually conduct her own investigation and I think Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will eventually do the same. But without the bipartisanship, Republicans across America will only mimic Donald Trump and call it a "witch hunt."
Americans must keep in the limelight the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. It is critical for Americans to never forget the violence and rioting that Donald Trump incited in his mentally deranged quest to prove that 'The Big Lie' is not a lie."
GBD
END OF PART FOUR OF FIVE
PART FIVE OF FIVE
DeleteI am generally partisan. I make no bones about it. But I do differ with many of my Democratic brothers and sisters. And I do have a history - not often, but at times - of agreeing with certain Republicans over the years. But when it comes to January 6 and the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the "truth" and the "facts" are indisputable. As for "ethics," Donald Trump and the people who raided the Capitol grounds in an attempt to overthrow the United States government are savages. These are brutal beasts who were shouting their intention to murder Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and the then sitting Vice President Mike Pence, a Republican. "Oh Nancy, we're coming to get you," and "Tell Pelosi, we're coming after that bitch," were just a couple of extremely harrowing howls; combined with the shockingly, chilling chant "Hang Mike Pence" - while a gallows and noose had been constructed on Capitol Hill. So when you say "ethics be damned," the people who invaded our Capitol on January 6 possess no moral principles, and they need to pay for their crimes.
Open your eyes to the truth and the facts. It's all right there in front of you.
GBD
END OF PART FIVE OF FIVE
Mr. Duglin has a great running image through this piece. His device of having the reader be forced to think of fewer and fewer stars on our flag is brilliant. Mr. Duglin’s visual conceit drives the entire essay. Great kudos to him!
ReplyDeleteWow! I am with great appreciation and the utmost gratitude for the above reader's generous comments. Thank you so very much for your kind, thoughtful and insightful words. Please share a link to my column with others. Many thanks again. GBD
DeleteMr. Duglin has pulled off a coup with his focus on the visual of a reducing number of stars on the American flag. He forces the reader to SEE the stars disappearing. This is a great visual theme. Kudos for a great column.
ReplyDeleteThe two reader-comments above have blown me away. The reader from July 10, 2021 at 6:01 PM has crafted an intelligently insightful and penetrating observation that is beyond impressive. I hope his or her wondrous words of wisdom will inspire others to react with similar perceptive thoughts. I am truly grateful for the reader's extraordinary evaluation and spirited sentiments. I thank the reader so very much for such a breathtaking and generous statement. Please share a link to my column with others. Many thanks again. GBD
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