On the morning of May 22, a fire suddenly broke out in the historic building of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in the border town of Douglas, Arizona. The historic building, 110 years old, shares a historic block in the center of the town known as "Church Square," on which three other churches, including First Presbyterian, First Baptist and Grace United Methodist, also sit. The fire in the historic building was intense, and there was some smoke and fire damage to the First Presbyterian Church building next door as a result.
Unfortunately, overnight, flames re-ignited in the First Presbyterian Church building, also causing significant damage. Both buildings, historic gems on a block that had been set aside for worship more than a hundred years earlier, were total losses. Evidence indicated the fire in that church was also caused by arson. The congregations have pledged to rebuild, but the historic character of the buildings that stood on Church Square is lost forever.
Just two days later, federal officials, working with local police, who had determined that the fires were intentionally set, had a suspect in custody. Eric Ridenour, a local Douglas resident, became the primary, and only, suspect in the case. Ridenour was an outspoken opponent of gay persons serving as pastors of churches, and also of women serving as pastors. The pastor of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church is a gay man, and the pastor of First Presbyterian Church is a woman. The pastor of Grace Methodist, also on the same square, is also a woman, but their building was not damaged in the fire. There is other evidence, including security camera footage, implicating Ridenour.
On Friday, in Federal Court in Tucson, Ridenour was arraigned, and pled not guilty to two counts of arson. His trial date was set for August 22. That's August 22, 2023, less than a month from the date of his arraignment.
And That's the Point, Isn't It?
The only daily newspaper in Cochise County, Arizona, where Douglas is located, The Sierra Vista Herald, has been covering this story since the fires occurred. They've laid out the evidence that has been reported, including the motive that law enforcement believes was behind the arson incidents. It doesn't appear complicated. The suspect's comments, and prior behavior, along with the camera footage, seem to be pretty conclusive. That's what we know from the media reports. His lawyers have a month to get ready, as does the prosecution. Then we'll find out how this turns out.
So we have a case that took exactly three months from the comission of the crime to the opening date of the trial. Three months.
Now it might be quite obvious where I am headed with this. Eric Ridenour is a citizen of the small town of Douglas, Arizona. He has a prior record of violent outbursts, involving an ex-wife or ex-girlfriend. He's an ordinary, regular citizen who is now a viable suspect in a crime, which will be thoroughly investigated. He is being held over for trial because the federal judge determined he would be a danger to the community if released.
Just an ordinary American citizen. Three months from comitting the crime to the opening date of the trial.
And that's the point.
Are we a nation of laws? Apparently, for Eric Ridenour, we most definitely are exactly that. A nation of laws, true to its constitutional principles, right down to a speedy trial in front of a jury of his peers.
So now, let's move to the crimes committed at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Telling me that this is an apples and oranges comparison to the point I am making will not change my mind about it at all. In the church arson case, the investigation into the crime began immediately. On January 6th, that may have been the case, but the Department of Justice has admitted to deliberately slowing things down and dragging their feet, without an explanation as to why. With our Democracy at stake, and the instigator of that insurrection already having gotten away with multiple crimes, outlined in what we now call The Mueller Report, that's not justice. The deadline for any verdict to be effective in administering justice is January 20, 2025, unless Joe Biden is re-elected to the Presidency. But whether or not he is shouldn't be a factor here. Justice is justice and if there's a way for a criminal to escape it, even by appointing his own justice department to do him favors instead of enforce the law, then it's not justice and we are not a nation of laws.
Of course January 6th is a more complicated case, and it takes more time to gather necessary evidence, though Congress certainly produced a mountain of it from their investigation. Let's just admit that things have not been handled with regard to January 6th in the same way any other trial with evidence would be handled, express our regrets, and then get these trials moving as quickly as possible toward justice. And while we're waiting, let's treat Donald Trump the same way we are treating Eric Ridenour. After all, they are both Americans entitled to equal application of their constitutional rights.
Ridenour is being held because he is considered a "danger to the people." Since his trial is happening on August 22, that's not an unreasonable amount of time to wait it out in jail. He's been indicted for setting two churches on fire, motivated by religious bigotry because he disagrees with their choice of pastor. It seems to me that there's a little more danger to the people from someone who incited an insurrection intended to overthrow the government by attacking the Capitol building with the intention of either sparking a civil war or preventing the results of a legitimate election from being certified which would amount to overthrowing the government. It would be fair, and reasonable, to hold the perpetrator of an insurrection until trial.
This is One of Those Watershed Moments
We have a political party in this country that is pouring effort, support, and millions of its dollars, into an effort to completely change reality. Part of the blame for that happening is the laziness and lack of interest in political affairs that is a disease in the United States, where we take going into a voting booth so much for granted that experiencing the consequences of having done that is still baffling and defying expectations. Fascism is staring us in the face, much more obvious than it was in the 1930's in Europe, but it seems we recognize it even less than the Europeans did back then. It's even using a lot of the same methodology and tools that it once did.
We're still a constitutional democracy, and we must do whatever that permits us to do to preserve it, protect it and keep it working for us. A big part of that is holding our leaders accountable, and make them realize who it is that they are serving, and for whom they are working. No matter who it is or how rich they are or how powerful they are, they must respect the law and they are subject to equal justice under it. Even those with whom we share political convictions in the same party need to understand they are accountable to we, the people. Democrats expect honesty and give trust. This is the issue of the day and the means to address it was given to us in the Constitition by the founding fathers.
So use it.
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