January 6th Committee And More …

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, Election 2020, Election 2024, guns, Law and justice, Social commentary

Yesterday I watched what I presume will be the final televised hearing of the January 6th Committee.  At a few points I felt tears welling up, at other points rage took over.  I must commend the committee for they have done an excellent and thorough job, despite the obstacles they have had to overcome.  As Ms. Cheney said in her opening remarks, their job is not to bring charges, but to investigate and make referrals.  It now falls to the Department of Justice to bring those charges and make them stick, to ensure that the name “Donald Trump” is not ever on a ballot in this nation again.

Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution clearly states that no person who took an oath in a public office and then participated in any way in an insurrection against the nation can ever be allowed to hold public office again.  Bennie Thompson and his January 6th committee have clearly presented evidence of Trump’s involvement in the insurrection/attempted coup of January 6, 2021.  Now, it is up to Merrick Garland to stop pussyfooting around and bring those charges!

A couple of other thoughts from Filosofa’s bouncy mind …

A sentence for life may be worse

For the record, I do not believe in the death penalty.  Oh, I used to.  I once thought it was not right for taxpayers to have to provide food, shelter and clothing for decades for a convicted murderer who would never be an asset to society.  But, while I was doing post-graduate work many years ago, I took a course by The Innocence Project and my views changed.  I learned about the times that people have been proven innocent, sometimes decades after being found guilty by a jury, and … well, what if we had executed them?  It’s bad enough to think of an innocent man spending 20-30 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, but if we executed him … there can be no remedy or reparations.

That said, I was momentarily taken aback last night when I read the jury’s decision in the case of Nikolas Cruz, the young man who murdered 17 people at Majorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida in 2018.  The jury was fully expected to hand down a death sentence, but instead went with life in prison without the possibility of parole.  Understandably, families of the victims were horrified and angry.  My first thought was that this might be the one time I would make an exception to being against the death penalty, for Cruz pleaded guilty on all 17 counts and there was no possibility that he would later be found innocent.  But then I thought a little bit about it and …

I think Cruz will come to the point of wishing he had received a death sentence.  Life in prison.  He is only 24 years of age, so he could quite reasonably spend 50 years or more behind bars.  And given his crime, the brutal murder of children, he will not be treated kindly by either fellow inmates or prison staff.  Imagine never taking a walk in the woods, cooking your own food, going to bed and getting up at your own will again.  Never.  For decades.  Oh yes, I think life in prison will end up being a much worse punishment than a quick execution would have been.  In many ways, he will already be dead, yet still feel the pain with none of the joy of being alive.  It is good enough for him.

And speaking of school shootings …

Another trial for Alex Jones, the man without a conscience, whose blatant lies and cooked up conspiracy theories led families of the murdered children in Sandy Hook Elementary School through a living hell.  Yesterday, a jury ordered Jones to pay just short of $1 billion to the families of the victims.  One lawyer called it “probably one of the largest defamation verdicts in U.S. history.” Deservedly so.

But do you think that for one minute Mr. Jones displayed grief or remorse for his actions?  Think again.  Jones pumped his fist in the air and said, “This is hilarious. Do these people actually think they’re getting any money?”  What a slap in the face to the twenty children and six teachers who were killed in the 2012 shooting.  What a knife to the heart of their surviving families.  But wait … there’s more!

In the hours after Wednesday’s verdict, Jones’ supporters collectively donated no less than $185,000 to Mr. Jones, claiming that “left wing radicals are attempting to destroy Alex via the court system.”  The people who donated even so much as one dollar to Jones need serious psychiatric counseling!  Mr. Jones is the definition of cruelty and not worthy of the air he sucks up on this planet.  There are far more worthy causes that I could find to donate money to than a man who attempted to make a mockery of the deaths of children!

28 thoughts on “January 6th Committee And More …”

  1. I certainly hope something happens as a result of the Jan 6 hearing…

    and like you, I do not believe in the death penalty, even in this case…

    I wonder if a penalty of $10 million (or some other number) would have been better, since $1 billion seems completley meaningless…

    Liked by 1 person

    • Jim!!! You’re back!!! I’ve missed you!!! Hope everything is okay …

      Yes, I don’t see how Garland can possibly NOT do something at this point. Trump must surely be feeling the heat, as evidenced by his 14-page rambling, nonsensical response to the committee’s subpoena.

      You make a good point about the award against Alex Jones … at some point, when the amount is so staggering that we cannot even imagine it, it does become rather meaningless. I will be interested, though, to see just how much of that amount actually goes to the families who were victims of Jones’ perfidy and how much goes to lawyers!

      Liked by 1 person

        • As long as you’re okay … I was getting worried there!

          Why on earth would they do that??? The site hasn’t really even gotten off the ground, most of what I’ve seen on there is b.s. (I cancelled my account, for it was the most boring site I’ve ever seen, and I only signed on so I could be a thorn in his side, but even that got boring). And from what I hear, there is significant dispute within and they are losing bundles of money!

          Liked by 1 person

  3. Just thinking out loud here … but after spending several YEARS in prison, would it not become simply part of one’s life? Certainly any sort of “freedom” is removed, but regular meals, potential “friendships” with other inmates, possibly some outdoors time. Of course, it’s all tightly restricted, but it seems after considerable time has passed, it would become, well, almost “normal.”

    Naturally, I’m just musing out loud since I’ve never been inside a prison nor have I have known anyone that has gone to prison. But is does seem after a period of time, simply based on human nature, the inmate would “accept” that this is life until death.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I don’t honestly know the answer to that, Nan. It’s certainly something to think about, though. I would miss so many things — family, nature, good food, cooking my OWN food, and more — but perhaps it does become the norm at some point and they learn to live with it. That may explain the high recidivism rate of prisoners who intentionally return to prison after their release … it has become their ‘comfort zone’. But, Mr. Cruz won’t make many friends, I think, for it is my understanding that child abusers and child killers don’t fare well among the other inmates.

      Liked by 2 people

    • Maybe for those that lived in poor situations, but those who lived in luxury,like Jones, I think they would never adjust. And if they did abominable things , people would be out to get them.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Pingback: January 6th. COMMITTEE AND MORE… |jilldennison.com | Ramblings of an Occupy Liberal

  5. Pingback: January 6th Committee And More … — Filosofa’s Word | Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News

  6. The people who support Jones are horrible evil and despicable just like him and many of the cult followers of trump and his ilk. These same Jones supporters are they same that sent death threats to the parents and families of the slain children. These people are not only evil, but they are not normal. They are a bottom feeding offshoot of the human race. They are defective.

    There are more types of these people all the time. Look at the insurrectionists and the willingness to kill they had. Look at the everyday shootings, the hate on social media, road rage, to name but a few..
    I’m sickened by it all. Wish I wasn’t too old to move out of this dying country.

    Liked by 1 person

    • You’re right … in my book, nobody with a conscience would even think about sending money to Alex Jones … he made his bed, now let him lie in it.

      Yes, there is a lot of hate going around these days, and I think social media is one of the causes, making it so easy to spread lies and incite violence. Without social media, there would likely have been no insurrection at the Capitol, for that is how they communicated and organized both humans and weapons. And I hear you about moving, but the same trend is starting in other countries as well … France, Germany, the UK, Canada … sigh.

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Jill, many thanks. We have long said what Trump has done behind the scenes is likely far worse than we could imagine. This and earlier testimony basically throws water on every “Mommy, I didn’t do it excuse” he has offered.

    As we speak, there are four legitimate indictments that could be forthcoming for the ex-president – financial fraud, seditious activities, stealing classified documents and meddling in the Georgia election. Oh and by the way, someone is finally looking into something we discussed a few years ago – who helped the ex-president’s son in law, Jared Kushner pay off a $1.2 billon loan balloon payment. And, what did they want in return?

    As for Alex Jones, he has reaped what he sowed time and again. Let me restate what we have discussed for several years – anyone who quotes Alex Jones on anything, should check other sources, as Jones is in the business to conspiracy and sell products to his audience.

    Keith

    Liked by 2 people

    • He has made over 100 million in the last ten years from his Info Wars. You can bet he’s funneled most of it away to some offshore holdings.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Mary, John Oliver did a good piece on Alex Jones on “Last week tonight.” Oliver said Jones does the lion share of his show selling product rather than spreading his conspiracy. What is truly sad is when he says be scared of “this” and then peddles a product to help prevent “this.” Keith

        Liked by 1 person

    • Yes, there’s never been any doubt in my mind that what we saw and what we knew he did was only the tip of the iceberg, and I’m pretty sure there’s still more to come. My hope is that the Justice Department doesn’t drag their feet much longer … his eligibility for the 2024 ballot needs to be nipped in the bud as early as possible. Now I’m hearing that he is playing more games, starting up a new company that will essentially be a shell company to transfer assets in order to protect them from legal verdicts. My jaw still drops when I read that some 40% of Republicans are still loyal to him.

      As re Alex Jones … I don’t understand why he is still allowed to host his radio show, given the damage he has caused. Yes, I know … free speech protections … but there must be a point where we put a stop to those who, like Jones, do only harm with their speech.

      Liked by 1 person

  9. The more I read about the state of governance and society in the US the more relieved I am that I don’t live there. Things here are far from perfect but the dicvisions are less deep and the bigots have less power. I hope things improve for you soon. I know that many Americans are good people who have somehow been sidelined.

    Liked by 2 people

    • While ’tis true that you guys have your own problems these days, we are still ahead of you when it comes to political corruption and sheer lunacy. Two years later, some 40% of the people in one party still falsely claim that the 2020 election should be overturned, that it was rampant with fraud, even though officials in both parties recognize that it was likely the most fair election the country has seen in a century. Bigotry in all its forms is on the rise, and violence is being incited by the politicians. It is a powder keg just waiting for someone to throw the right match.

      Liked by 1 person

  10. I want to see Jones penniless, homeless, and begging for scraps. It won’t happen, even I know that, but just picturing it made me smile. Then Clay Jones of Claytoonz drew the picture for me. Thanks, Clay.
    As for Trump, my reading of your version of the 14th Amendment says nowhere Trump has to even be convicted of participating in an insurrection against the government. The proof is all there already — Trump participated. The evidence is overwhelming. As I read it, Trump cannot ever hold elected office again, no matter what. I truly believe if he is put before a jury, there will be at least one MAGAt on it, and Trump will be found not guity, if juries have to be unanimous.
    That said, when it comes to Nikolas Cruz, I am glad the jury decided against the death penalty. I am of the mind that legal murder is no better than any kther kind of murder. But I also balk at giving anyone a life sentence, or 24 life sentences as will probably happen here. I am TOTALLY in agreement with Canadian law on this — a life sentence is a cruel and unusual punishment! 25 years is the maximum anyone can be kept in prison in Canada, and such a sentence is seldom given, even to our worst offenders. A person has to be given the chance to reform himself/herself. Staring at a life sentence without chance of freedom gives a person no reason to even try to better himself. 25 years is long enough.
    (While I agree with a maximum 25 year sentence under present conditions, I do not agree with prisons at all. Corporal punishment of any kind, including shaming someone, is inhumane. There are better ways to deal with criminals. The best way is to take away reason for crime in the first place. But i have discussed this elsewhere. Now and here is not the right time or place. I just wanted to make sure I did not appear to agree with something I do not believe in.)

    Liked by 1 person

    • I would love to see Alex Jones in prison for the rest of his life, but it won’t happen. However, I do think he’s going to end up losing most of his fortune, which is nothing less than justice for what he did to the families of those poor children.

      Yes, the evidence is all there, plain as day, that Trump participated in the planning and implementation of the attempted coup, but it will need to see the inside of a courtroom before the law will hold him accountable and remove him from any and all ballots. I keep hoping he simply chokes on his Big Mac some night and dies … it would be the simplest solution to our “Trump problem”, for anything else will lead to further violence, further divisions.

      Yes, I know you do not agree with prisons, but where would you put people like Nikolas Cruz who murdered kids in school? Would you let them simply walk free? Until humans actually learn to treat others right, which I doubt they ever will, then we need some way of keeping the rest of us safe from the criminals. When we’re talking about murderers like Cruz, the only way to “take away the reason for the crime” would be … what??? Sometimes people change, they do reform, but from what I see, it’s rare. Sorry … I don’t want to live in a lawless anarchy … laws serve a purpose in our world.

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