Ask Not For Whom The Bell Tolls …

Posted on by under Election 2020, Election 2024, Law and justice, Political commentary, Social commentary, voting rights

It tolls for Democracy

Hyper-partisanship is likely to be the death of the United States.  It used to be that each of the two major political parties stood for something.  The Republican Party stood for fiscal conservatism, the Democratic Party stood for government helping people, but at the end of the day compromises were settled on.  Today, the word ‘compromise’ might just as well be written out of the dictionary. 

The most glaring example I see is the response to the events of January 6th, when a group of (mostly Republican) men and women attempted, with the blessings of the then-president, to overthrow our votes, to tell us that our voices do not matter, and to crush the democratic foundation of the nation.  The biggest problem is that it doesn’t take a majority to accomplish what the January 6th insurrectionists were trying to accomplish … all it takes is a relatively few radicals who believe their voice is more important than ours, and a handful of corrupt politicians planning from behind the scenes.

I was astounded to see the latest poll showing that while the majority of people do not support those who implemented the attempted coup on January 6th, some 19% of people actually do support it!  26% of Republicans support the insurrectionists … no real surprise there, I suppose, since it was the Republicans who were the planners behind it … but even 16% of Democrats support the actions of those who attempted to silence our voices, to murder this nation, to turn us into another Hungary or Russia!  And 8% of Independents support the insurrectionists.  What the Sam Hell is wrong with people???

The same poll asked people how they view each of the parties in regard to certain behaviours.  Turns out that Republicans are more known for creating violence and undermining election integrity, while Democrats are best known for protecting voting rights and democracy.  

To add insult to injury, just yesterday a judge acquitted one of the insurrectionists of four misdemeanor counts: entering and remaining in a restricted building, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building, violent entry and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

In my book, each and every person who illegally entered the Capitol on that day is guilty of attempting to overthrow an election and thereby a legitimately elected government.  There should be no acquittals, no light sentences or slaps on the wrist … there should be time spent in prison, no excuses!  Nobody … not one single person … who entered the Capitol on that near-fateful day, came there in peace to support our free elections.  No, they came with one purpose only … to kill democracy by overthrowing the results of a free and fair election.  That was the goal and not a single one of them care about the police officers who died as a result of that day, or the trauma that some will never outlive.

It shouldn’t matter, but the judge in this case, U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, was among the first round of Trump appointees in mid-2017.  It shouldn’t matter, for judges take an oath swearing to judge cases on merit and without partiality.  But perhaps it did matter in this case, for no impartial judge could have simply acquitted Matthew Martin.  No doubt, though, the 19% of people who support the insurrectionists are doing a happy dance over Martin’s acquittal while the rest of us lose sleep wondering how many more will be released into society to complete the destruction of democracy in the next few years.

One bright note today:  I have no less than 5 ‘breaking news’ updates on my phone telling me that Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has been confirmed in a senate vote, 53-47!!!  Welcome to the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Jackson!!!

26 thoughts on “Ask Not For Whom The Bell Tolls …”

  1. Maybe some folk need to be grabbed by the scruff of their whinging, conspiracy stiffened necks and dropped down in a nation where any antics like the 6th January would have been met by clubs, tear gas and stun grenades , while any prancing about with guns would be met by……
    Maybe a year there would have them back in the USA on their knees blubbering and wailing and thankful for being home.
    A-holes
    I’m done being eloquent today.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Jill, it’s in the nature of polls that one gets weird answers usually from people who don’t know what the question is about. Believe me, there are people who think January 6th was an Arbor Day celebration. I was in the polling business for too many years, and have seen more than my share of nutty.

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    • This is true, and no poll can give a completely clear view, for many people, like myself, don’t answer their phones or take ‘surveys’. But yes, there seems to be a substantial portion, though still a minority, of people in this country who think January 6th was either something to celebrate, or else much ado about nothing. I simply cannot understand it. Sigh.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Jill, there is a lot of gaslighting being done by some culpable folks and their sycophants about January 6. This is why we need more Republicans to add their voice to the need to get to the bottom of what happened. The former president is now saying the Secret Service would not let him march with the people that day. Really? An insurrection against a branch of government? Keith

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    • Oh that’s for sure, my friend! I no longer print comments by Scott Lawlor, but he still comments and tonight I read one where he claimed the whole January 6th event was a sham and he hoped that all the participants went free and sued the government, or some such nonsense. Thing is … he really believes that b.s. and so do about 30% of the country, from what I can tell. How do we get them to listen to reason? That’s the big question, for this divisiveness, largely led by Trump and his crew, is tearing the nation apart.

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      • Jill, it is frustrating when people tell me something did not happen that I saw with my own eyes. It is akin to the Wizard of Oz telling us not to look behind the curtain. The insurrection on January 6 was a heinous day in American history. We cannot have a branch of government invite and incite an insurrection on another branch putting elected officials in danger. Full stop. It matters not which party. But, this is yet one more example of the purposeful whitewashing of history instigated by conspiracy parrots and those who choose to believe their contrived stories. Keith

        Liked by 1 person

        • Me too, Keith. Just like Orca Flotta used to keep telling me that Putin wasn’t killing civilians in Ukraine, when the evidence that he IS was plain to see! Do people actually believe what they say, are they that ignorant, or is it that they say what they wish were true? January 6th was an attempted coup, an attempt to overturn our votes from November 2020, and an insurrection against the U.S. Federal government. Full Stop. To call it anything else is simply a lie.

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  4. You know, for the planet’s population, where it counts, your 2 parties are nothing but 2 sides of the same coin. Both extremely far out right-wing. In many countries both would be under investigation by some or the other constitution protection agencies. Because both have proven time and again to be anti-democratic and prone to violence.
    At least they should be under scrutiny if they are able to sit in and democratic parliament.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. 1) On compromise: Some “guy” thought we needed more compromising to get past the divisions in the world. Sounds good, right. He wanted people to find a compromise on women’s rights, and…
    Abortion? How do you compromise on abortion? White women get to have them while people of collur don’t? Where else can one find compromise o abortions. Not something that should be debatable.
    2) “all it takes is a relatively few radicals who believe their voice is more important than ours, ”
    In Canada we called that the Trucker’s Convoy. The government gave them most everything they wanted if they sylpped blowing their horns. That is compromise?
    3) Judge McFadden needs a refresher course in impartiality.?
    4) Congratulations, Ms Jackson. May you get some help soon.

    Liked by 4 people

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