This Might be Our Last Chance to Preserve American Democracy

 Don't let it take too long for you to wrap your mind around the fact that we came dangerously close to seeing the American Republic dissolve into chaos during the final months of the Trump administration.  How in the world can it be that there are some people, including some Democratic party leaders in Washington, who did not see this coming, or who just wrote it off and didn't think it would actually materialize?  The only thing about Trump's temperament and lifestyle that wasn't known by the time he got around to winning the GOP nomination was his finances.  

It was extremely frustrating, as an "ordinary citizen," to see this coming and feel completely helpless to do anything to stop it.  I had my vote.  I invested both time and money in efforts to get people's attention and to support the opposition because that appeared to be the only way to stop the disaster from coming.  I volunteered to knock on doors, make phone calls and do far more than what I had ever done before to help get one candidate elected in order to prevent the election of another.  The single most frustration came from calling elected officials and campaign officials to tell them why I felt that we were facing impending political disaster.  They agreed, but no one seemed to be able to offer a solution or have a plan in place beyond standard politics.  Because of a quirky system, and because it didn't seem like anyone really took things seriously enough to matter, we predictably arrived at January 6.  Thank God it turned out well, at least, this time it did.  

I've read the history of the Second Continental Congress and the writing of the Declaration of Independence like everyone else, as a historical fact on which hangs the existence of our country.  But the first time I ever visited Independence Hall, I realized how close we came to not having a country and how, in spite of those words, not all Americans came together to support them.  In fact, not only were the men who gathered for the Congress in danger even as they gathered there, but there was no certainty of the outcome of what was then a war that had just barely begun.  There were many moments when defeat loomed, when it would have been easy just to quit, when there were doubts about what they were fighting for.  It took five long years and it could have gone either way.  

Then it took another seven years for Americans to realize that they needed to do more in order to unite and preserve the nation they had created, including to turn it into a Republic, a form of  democracy which would enable them to defend themselves against foreign enemies and to resist internal tyranny.  The end result of their efforts was to create what they called an "experiment," testing the limits to see if it worked and making it possible to make adjustments and changes necessary to be a government of, by and for the people, free from tyranny. 

It could have gone either way at the Capitol Building in Washington on January 6.  The fact that it went the way it did was yet another example of God watching over and protecting this country.  

Hopefully, it will not take seven years for Americans to come to the conclusions that they need to exercise the power to make some changes that will work now.  Seven years is way too long.  We could lose everything that has been gained in just a couple of years, if things are not done to make sure that doesn't happen.  And yes, of course, I have some ideas about what we can do, both short term and long term, to preserve our Democratic Republic and secure the future. 

Hold Donald Trump Accountable

The second impeachment was, at least as far as I see it, an attempt to put an end to a miserable presidency that became intensely more miserable, uncertain and unstable after the results of the November election were confirmed and certified.  Trump's last days in the White House were a testament to his insane paranoia and his pathological lying.  As long as he was President, testing limits of presidential power that had never been tested before, the country was in danger.  January 6 was a major warning about just how far he would go, so impeachment was the logical response.  

And while the process did not get him removed from office prior to January 20, it did succeed in sending a strong enough warning that the shenanigans had to stop.  Surrounded by extremists who kept pushing for him to test the limits of power, the impeachment took the steam out of any further efforts on his behalf for him to cling to power.  In reality, what his nutcase advisors were trying to get him to do would have led not to his remaining in office, but more than likely to his own arrest and imprisonment.  He knew it. 

Trump made it very clear long before the November election that he wouldn't accept any result except his own victory.  He laid that out to his supporters all through his term in office so that it would be easy for them to believe the lie when the time came.  If he, or his lawyers, really believed that the election was stolen, and believe the "evidence" they have laid out on extremist right wing media to prove it was accurate, then why didn't they present that evidence to the courts where they filed charges?  Nothing proves fraud like evidence.  Giuliani and Powell have shown all of their "stuff" to Trump supporters on Newsmax and Breitbart, mainly to raise money, so why didn't they show it to the judges in the courts?  Yeah, that's a rhetorical question.  Because everything they've got is phony.  There is no evidence of massive voter fraud, nor any proof that Trump really won.  That's the big lie.

The impeachment and senate trial perfectly laid out Trump's guilt in inciting an insurrection aimed at the overthrow of the government, overturning of a legitimate election and keeping him in power.  It's not the end of efforts to hold him accountable, it is just the beginning.  He's out of office now, no longer protected by a corrupt justice department and the house managers laid out an irrefutable case for his guilt.  It will go to the justice department now, and to the courts and he will be held accountable.  Nothing should deter this effort because it must happen in order to limit Presidential power in any future attempt of a sitting president to hold on to power against the will of the people. 

Push Forward With Biden's Agenda, Bi-Partisan Support ot Not

Bi-partisan cooperation or not, the Biden administration needs to push forward full steam ahead, using every tool at their disposal including having the VP break tie votes in the senate.  Let's see how high the Democrats can rise to an occasion.  That's how the GOP does business when it is in power, let them get a good taste in their mouth of what obstructionist politics feel like when it comes back the other way and they are the ones being shut down and out.  

Getting things done wins votes.  The Biden Administration has focused on resolving pressing issues and that has clearly resonated with voters.  With a house majority and the tie-breaking vote in the senate, the Democrats need to push through everything they want to accomplish, not only to insure the unity of their own party, but to bulldoze through the cotton-padded stone walls that Mitch McConnell has used to create government gridlock.  That includes killing the filibuster.  

Biden has appointed a whole bunch of highly successful, "get things done" people to his cabinet.  He's put out legislation, planned in advance, to deal with the problems that concern Americans the most, like COVID-19 and the economy and he's getting some of the highest job approval ratings any President has received in decades.  Regardless of whether any Republicans go with them or not, the agenda needs to move forward.  The GOP is broken.  The 2022 midterms are going to produce unprecedented gains for Democrats in terms of state legislative seats, governorships, house and senate seats and getting things done in Washington will only add to their vote totals and affirm their leadership.  

Approve Statehood for the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico

That there are still Americans who are not represented in Congress is anti-American.  This is a necessary step that should have been taken a long time ago. 

Weaknesses Which Need to be Corrected

Trump's lame duck status as President was one of the most dangerous times in our history.  The man is an unstable, insane (my opinion but I think his behavior warrants consideration of the use of the term) pathological liar, and a narcissistic egomaniac who was intoxicated by the power of the office.  Once it became clear that he had lost the election (and there's no argument about it) he quit performing the duties of his office and focused on figuring out how to subvert the Constitution and stay in.  

Though he is the first President to have resisted the constitutional mandate for peaceful transition of power, he might not be the last.  We are at a point in our history where Presidential power needs to be redefined and taken back to a more "originalist" perspective anyway.  It has become clear that a peaceful transition of power needs to be enforced, and some Constitutional amending needs to take place to ensure that the next demagogue, and there will be one, doesn't have the ability to change the results of an election or burn the country down on the way out. 

Here's what I would change: 

1. The President's finger gets taken off the nuclear trigger.  The "football" goes elsewhere, to the Speaker of the House or the Chief Justice, or even to the President-elect, but the lame duck is done with it. 
2. The Presidential transition takes place on January 20 at noon in spite of any declaration of martial law by the previous President.  (I think this is the way it is now, in spite of what we may have heard, but let's make sure.) 
3. All the President's appointive powers end the day the election results are certified.  No judicial or cabinet appointments can be made by a sitting President after a President-elect is declared. 
4. Concession is mandated by law at the moment the last state certifies its election results.  The transition starts the next day and doesn't require an invitation from the sitting President.  Access to all of the administrative areas of the White House is required for the President Elect and all staff members.  
5. A lame duck President cannot issue executive orders.

I'm sure there would be plenty of arguments against making these kinds of changes, but we have just been through a very trying time that posed a real danger to the continued existence of this Democratic Republic.  There's nothing wrong with putting limits on the power of a departing President to ensure the peaceful transfer of power and hold the occupant of the nation's highest political office accountable to the people.  

The Impeachment Trial That Must be Held

https://www.vox.com/21506029/trump-violence-tweets-racist-hate-speech

Regardless of the outcome--and there are plenty of people who don't believe that there are 17 Republicans in the senate with the courage to stand up for the American Republic and its Constitution which establishes government of, by and for the people--there are some accomplishments that will be achieved by the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump.  There's no doubt that it is constitutional, affirmed by the United States Senate. 

If the threat of accountability for crimes committed in office isn't there, it will happen again.  And while this country has gone until now without a threat to the peaceful transfer of power after an election, that's no longer the case and failing to prosecute Trump will only open the door to it happening again.  I'm having difficulty understanding why criminal charges can't be considered, given not only the incitement of the insurrection itself but the scope of the lying that was done about the election results themselves.  No credible evidence was ever produced which supported any claim of "massive voter fraud."  None.  Shouldn't all of that be subject to investigation and prosecution?  And if not, then what is subject to investigation and prosecution in this country?  

Most people seem convinced that there aren't 17 Republican senators who have the courage, conviction or intellectual capacity to take a look at overwhelming evidence and vote to convict Trump.  Given their behavior during the past four years, I'd agree with that assessment.  But so what?  Even without a conviction there will be a lot of good that comes out of this. 

Every Republican Who Votes Against Removal is Exposed

The Democratic party is poised to pick up a lot of new house and senate seats in 2022.  A lot.  This will help every Democrat who runs against an incumbent senator confront their opponent with direct evidence of their lack of courage and conviction.  Every Republican senator who votes against removing Trump from ever being able to hold elected office again is a traitor, not a patriot and if they are on the record, their Democratic opponent in 2022 needs to keep reminding the voters of that fact.  Patriots defend the constitution, they don't attack it like Trump so lets see who the patriots really are.  

Though it has been very obvious which Republicans have been duplicitous regarding Trump and which ones have no conviction and no backbone, this one's going to hurt.  That's why you heard all of their whining and complaining before this trial started.  They could care less about whether or not it is constitutional, what they care about is that millions of voters, most of whom have already decided that the attack on the capital was a horrific, traitorous insurrection, will see the case organized by the House Managers all over again.  It will be a fresh reminder of just how bad Trump was and just how close we came to losing everything that we are as a country.  

Their decision is simple.  They are either loyal Americans who will vote for justice and against Trump, or they are loyal to Trump and will vote against justice and against America.  That's the bottom line. 

Evaluating How We Got Here

Free speech is a cherished American right, a first amendment guarantee that was at the very core of this country's existence during the time it was being founded.  We seem to have moved away from some of the values that developed and became part of who we are during the formative years of the American Republic.  The power behind the government rests with the people and the events of the past four years have shown where our republic is weak and needs some strengthening.  

There is no free speech without responsibility and responsibility is something that doesn't just happen, it takes time to develop, grow and be understood.  It requires true character and a set of values, both things that Trump was lacking.  That's not being judgmental, it is being observant.  The man built his fame and branded himself with what he hoped would be seen as "legendary immorality."  

The early church Apostle Paul lists the "works of the flesh" in his letter to the Galatian Christians as being "sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies and things like these."  There's not much in that list that Trump didn't use to brand himself and create his public image long before he was elected to the White House.  

How did his followers miss all of that, especially the "Evangelicals" who knew better?  And if the Christian New Testament isn't your measuring rod, business ethics and conduct should have attracted some attention.  Well, actually, it did, and some Republican senators did notice during the 2016 primaries, and they are on the record as having pointed out most of Trump's corrupt behavior before they realized that he was gathering support and their nominee of choice, Jeb Bush, wasn't.  You can find caustic criticism of Trump's character, especially the fraud and the incessant lying, from any of a dozen GOP senator/hypocrites like McConnell, Rubio, Graham, Sessions and most of the rest of the GOP presidential field in 2016.  

Someone in that GOP senate crowd even said that they wondered how in the world anyone could trust what Donald Trump said when he put his hand on the Bible and took the oath of office to uphold and defend the constitution.  And so I ask that question, after four years of pathological lying, including the whoppers that incited the crowd at his "Stop the Steal" insurrection, indeed, how?  

In most elections, we have depended on the electorate to decide whether candidates are qualified and capable of serving in public office and to cast their ballots based on those requirements.  There are those among the electorate who are not interested in democracy and who prefer a form of government other than a constitutional republic.  Free speech means that, up to a point, we accept those among us who have different perspectives about government, economic policy, leadership characteristics and style and so forth, but that point is the place where it threatens what has been constitutionally established and attempts to use a means other than what the constitution requires to make changes. 

And we have apparently gone off the rails here. 

So How do we Fix It?

Are there really 74 million Americans whose preference is to resort to violence and insurrection in order to get their way and make sure their candidate remains in office, going completely against the constitution and assassinating government officials in order to achieve their ends?  Probably not, but there are clearly those who were attracted to Trump and his way of doing things who do not believe in representative, constitutional democracy but prefer dictatorship by force and they showed up in Washington on January 6.  

Too many Americans are simply ignorant of the constitution and what a constitutional Republic looks like and are willing to believe conspiracy theories and the lie that the election was stolen, or even could be stolen.  That's where the education needs to start.  Telling lies that can't be supported by evidence and which have as their intention the undermining of the legitimate, elected government of the Republic is not free speech.  And if there are that many people who can't see that someone like Donald Trump is completely incapable of serving in an office that requires the kind of intensity, energy, intellect, morality and character that the American Presidency requires, then our public education system has failed to achieve its most basic mission and purpose.  And next to it, in my opinion, so has a fair segment of the Christian church.

So perhaps this impeachment will be a wake-up call.  Our democracy will still have plenty of enemies, but hopefully they will not have so many willing helpers.

1. We need to get real civics education back into the school system now.  We've focused on language skills, math and science for so long that we've let the really important subjects go.  Every student, starting in kindergarten, needs real American history and real Civics instruction.  Right now, in some states, students have to be proficient in Algebra 1 to graduate from high school.  They should also have to be proficient in the American and state constitution and in the meaning behind the dates and events in American history.  
2. Whatever is constitutionally permissible, and I think there is quite a bit that can be done, with regard to qualifications for candidates for federal office should be legislated or, if necessary, amended into the constitution.  That would include standards for honesty and integrity, requiring the release of all social media posts, associations and memberships held, all public records and standards for conduct of business or professional responsibility including release of all tax returns and financial records.  
3. Any candidate for public office, congressman, senator or President, or any cabinet official or military commander, should be required to pass a test demonstrating their knowledge of the Constitution of the United States and a comprehensive American history exam.  If you can't pass that, you aren't eligible to be elected.  
4. Term limits must be put in place for everyone serving in government, including the senate, the house and the Supreme Court.   That way, the focus will be on the objective of serving Americans, not making a career out of government.  

Come Out! Come Out, Wherever You Are...

For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.  Matthew 24:24

In the political atmosphere of this time, animated as it is by incredibly ridiculous conspiracy theories spewed all over social media, lies spouted by politicians and given life by propagandists claiming to be legitimate news media outlets and open threats of assassination of government leaders and an attempted coup, it might be fun to see what comes of speculating by putting names and faces to the "false christs" and "false prophets" that Jesus mentions here.  But that would be taking this verse, which is a sentence from Jesus' discourse on the end of the age, out of context.  

What I want to focus on instead is the principle that is stated in this verse, that it is possible for the "elect" to be led astray. 

Now the works of the flesh are evident:  sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies and things like these.  I warn you , as I warned you before that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  Galatians 5:19-21

Even though much of the white, Evangelical church in this country has been married to GOP politics, and has been considerably diminished in terms of both membership and reputation as a result of that marriage, I did not think Evangelicals would ever embrace someone like Trump.  It's not being judgmental to point out that Trump's lifestyle, for as long as he has been in the public eye, has exhibited many of the "works of the flesh" which appear in this New Testament passage.  And there's been no "repentance" from any of it.  In fact, he's said on more than one occasion over the past four years that he doesn't need to ask forgiveness for anything.  His Evangelical sycophants stopped asking him about it.  

On the surface, the trade-off is Evangelical support for Trump is that since they're not electing a pastor-in-chief, having a lying, cheating, adulterous, narcissist as President is better than having someone who supports abortion rights.  Notwithstanding the fact that conservative Evangelicals aren't really stepping up to the plate and doing anything themselves to actually reduce abortion numbers and find ways to help those who feel that abortion is their only option avoid making the choice, I can't really find Biblical support for the idea that one sin is worse than another, or that God gives you a pass on that list there in Galatians 5:19-21 if you've got your position on abortion correct. 

Abortion numbers went down significantly under both Presidents Clinton and Obama.  That's because the Democrats appear to have a good grasp on the root of the problem and have made resources available for helping women, especially those affected by deep poverty, meet needs which lead to them seeing that they can keep the baby.  They also know that simply overturning Roe won't end abortion, but will simply drive it underground, where the women who continue to see it as their only choice will put their lives in danger to get one.  When they're in power, they put resources in place which get at the root causes of abortion and the numbers go down.  When the Republicans are in power, they cut those services and the abortion numbers go up.  So how seriously can you really take them on this issue?  I mean, seriously?

And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do.  For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.  And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.  So it is no surprise that his servants also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.  Their end will correspond to their deeds.  2 Corinthians 11:12-15

Character in a Presidential candidate did indeed matter to conservative Evangelicals at one time.  Back in 1998, Dr. Richard Land of the SBC's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission had this to say about it: 

"I think that is shows that at least a majority of representatives in the US House are committed to the rule of law despite the political consequences.  And it's to the Democrats' shame, not the Republicans that this has been a largely partisan process.  No one has defended the president's behavior.  They have just said we should lower the standard for holding office...that's both irresponsible and shameless."

...to deceive, if possible, even the elect...

But that was Clinton, when they were interested in electing a pastor-in-chief.  And I say that tongue-in-cheek because the hypocrisy is so thick and because they seem so completely and totally blinded. 

...so it is no surprise that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness...

I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the justification and defense that is still going on three weeks after the horrific events at the Capitol building.  Blindness and ignorance persist, even after seeing Trump become the first President in history to challenge the constitutional principle of the peaceful transfer of power with a whopper of a lie about election integrity and call supporters to Washington to try to disrupt the process of counting and certifying electoral votes by capturing and threatening members of Congress along with the Vice-President.  Thank God that failed. 

A lot of what I see on social media indicates that a lot of conservative Evangelicals bought into the apocalyptic, end of the world rhetoric that was going around and being used by Trump's campaign to get votes.  Some of them sound like they've lost their savior, and I guess, from their perspective, maybe they have.  It's the empty feeling you get when you just realize that someone has been lying to you.  Conspiracy theories, the lies that were told about the election, all of that came from sources disguised as servants of righteousness.  Their end has indeed corresponded to their deeds.  If you think the outcome of the election is some kind of eschatological sign, you have definitely been deceived.  

A song from the Wizard of Oz comes to mind.

Who is wise and understanding among you?  By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.  But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.  This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.  For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every viable practice.  But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.  And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.  James 3:13-18

I'm a Christian, which means that I have acknowledged my need for repentance and forgiveness in order to be able to approach and stand in the presence of God, not in my own righteousness and good deeds, but in my confession of Jesus as the Christ, as the Apostle John wrote in his epistle to the church chapter 4, verses 1-3..  I belong to and worship with an Evangelical Christian church, one which has pastors who have kept its focus on its mission and purpose, centered inthe gospel of Jesus Christ and steered it around the rocks of politics, as well as despair and depression over COVID-19.  There are many churches in America, Evangelical, Mainline Protestant, denominational, non-denominational, independent, hierarchical, Caucasian, Ethnic or blended who still stand for the gospel, who are still focused on their mission and purpose and who have not bowed their knee to any idol of distraction 

Blessed are the peacemakers, said Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, for they shall be called the sons of God.  

In a season of crisis, peacemakers bring hope. 

No Longer the Party of "Law and Order" As If They Ever Were

Whether it is fear of Trump or lack of conviction--or a combination of both--it appears that there will not be enough Republican Senators willing to convict Trump in the most recent impeachment trial.  I think most Democrats probably knew that, though you'd think being in the line of fire when the security of the Capitol building was over-run would bring some of them back to their right mind.  If the partisan political divisiveness has become so bad that most of the Republicans were actually hoping to see some assassinations and were pulling for the Trump insurrection's success, as some Senators clearly were, then we are already over the brink and on the road to dictatorship.  

The trial is going to move forward, in spite of McConnell's dishonest duplicity and crazy Rand Paul's ranting.  From the public reactions of Republican Senators, it is clear that the effects of the presentation of the evidence are going to be devastating.  The Democrats control the White House and both branches of Congress because of Trump's incompetence and corruption.  It's been on display for four years.  I'm on the record, on a message board, of predicting that he would lose the House in 2018, would at some point do something corrupt and illegal enough to be impeached, and would be beaten to the ground in the 2020 election.  

What I couldn't imagine was the spot in which Trump would put the entire Republican party.  The smarmy, self-righteous bigots have been exposed for the power hungry hypocrites and despots that they are.  Law and order?  What a joke!  Law and order is for someone else, not for them.  Everyone knows that now and we are about to get a two week long reminder of it on prime time television and in social media everywhere.  What we didn't get to see in his first impeachment trial, because the "law and order Republicans" refused to allow evidence to be presented (that alone is enough to scuttle any image they may have previously projected about being for law and order) is now going to be on full display because they can't stop it and they are going to have to sit through it and listen to it all again.  

The damage was done during the first impeachment.  Only one Republican, Senator Mitt Romney, emerged with his integrity intact.  Romney has followed the party line, but he has very carefully avoided committing any loyalty to Trump.  Sometimes that's been hard to see, but from the social media blasting and death threats he gets from that peace-loving, non-violent  MAGA mob, his stand is clear.  He's been joined now by Sasse, Murkowski, Toomey and Collins. McConnell once again exposed himself as an opportunistic, duplicitous liar.  So the prospects for a conviction are very slim.  

But the trial will go on.  The Republicans can't stop it, nor can they vote to avoid seeing any evidence and they can't keep everyone else from seeing it either.  There it will be, the videos of the horrible scenes of the Capitol being stormed by traitors and insurrectionists, some of whom were aiming at murder, some of whom actually committed it while they were inside, including the murder of a police officer.  But in spite of their "law and order" stance, and their empty shouts of "back the blue," they'd rather side with the criminal whose orders caused the officers death than pursue justice on his behalf. 

So what does the vote on Rand Paul's motion tell us besides the fact that 45 of the Republican senators in Congress are spineless cowards?  It tells us that they are scared spitless of the political consequences they are going to face which result from another extended period of time in which the corruption and crimes of Donald J. Trump will be on public display.  

There are some Democrats who are bemoaning that in spite of the fact that Trump was exposed as a traitor to Democracy and an enemy of the American Republic, he still has a base within the Republican party.  It is genuinely concerning that after the Trump Insurrection, there are still Americans who are willing to support him, who, in spite of a mountain of evidence to the contrary, still buy the lie that there was massive voter fraud and the election was stolen from him.  It is disconcerting and concerning that there are so many conspiracy theorists, extremist and anti-American anti-Patriots left.  But there aren't enough of them left to elect him again and in fact, the shambles they have made of the Republican party means that even if the senate doesn't convict him this time, the voters will do it for them. Again. The Democrats won't have to worry about making sure the Vice President is around to cast a deciding vote after 2022.  There won't be any room to doubt the repudiation of Donald J. Trump after that. 

So regardless of the outcome, there will be some good things that come out of this trial.  The American people will be reminded, once again, of the horrific, seditious, treasonous Trump insurrection and the law and order hating, unpatriotic, anti-American, self-serving demagogue of a President who fanned the flames and instigated it with his outrageous lies.  Trump goes down in history as the only President to be impeached twice, which is a stain on the Republican party for its failure to see the evil the first time around. It will be very costly, in terms of votes, for many of the Republican senators who will be sitting there seeing and hearing the damning, incontrovertible evidence that the man they supported as President tried to destroy American democracy and its constitutional republic.   

Frankly, I have trouble understanding how it is that the MAGA mob is not able to understand the absolute contempt and complete disrespect Trump has for their intelligence.  The one person who knows for certain that a lie isn't true is the liar.  There may be clear evidence supporting the truth, but it takes intelligence and objectivity to see it, examine it, and draw a conclusion.  Trump knows there was no "massive fraud" and he knows that he lost the election.  He knew where it was headed when he first started floating the idea of fraud to his MAGA mob even before the first impeachment.  But he also knows that most of his supporters will simply believe whatever he says.  So by continuing to feed them lies, Trump is demonstrating the fact that he thinks his followers are incredibly ignorant and bottomlessly stupid.  

We are at a point where we are going to have to decide, as a country, whether our Republic is worth saving and whether democracy is the best form of government for the nation.  We have to decide where the lines need to be drawn, how to examine our candidates and determine whether they really do have the character, the morality, the integrity, the honesty and the commitment to the American Constitution that is required to serve in public office and are capable of setting aside their personal loyalty and selfish ambition in order to serve.  This is a government of, by and for the people and we can make some rules that we think are necessary to make it work better, like term limits, restoring the balance of power where it has become lax in the executive branch and putting limits on the power of the executive branch.  

And we need to decide that those members of the House and Senate whose actions gave aid and comfort to the enemies of this country who stormed the Capitol and threatened to destroy the country must be held accountable.  Some rear ends need to be kicked out as soon as possible and the Democrats do have the power to make that happen.  

Trump was impeached twice.  Look at the life he led before he ran for public office.  You can see this disaster coming from a long way off.  If the Democrats ever elected someone as despicable and deplorable as that, do you think the Republicans would take the position they've now put themselves in and just give him, or her, a pass?  

Latest Social Media Lies From the Right

Seen on social media---

"National guard members turned their backs on Biden on Inauguration Day."  

False.  

"Democrats forced our great troops to sleep on the floor of a parking garage after dragging them to DC for photo ops."  

False.  First of all, it was not the Democrats who ordered the guard to DC, it was the military command of the Pentagon, at that point under the Trump administration, which did so at the request of the Mayor of Washington.  The parking garage order also did not come from any Democrat in Congress and in fact, when the House and Senate leadership heard about it, they ordered an immediate reversal.  Guard troops on duty are housed in the Capitol and Senate office complex, off duty are in local hotels. 

"Democrats are trying to pass a bill to force vaccinate children without their parents' consent."  

This one earned a "pants on fire" from PolitiFact.  NO, there is no such bill anywhere in any state or in the federal government.  Vaccinations and the legislation that governs  them are state legislative issues, not federal and no state has a law requiring vaccinations without parental consent.  

"Vice President Harris put her purse over the Bible so she wouldn't have to touch it while being sworn in."  

False.  There are several versions of this being tossed around, but if you look at the actual video of the inauguration, you can see this is absolutely false.  VP Harris was an active member of a Baptist church in Oakland, California prior to her election to the Senate and regularly attends  worship services.  She brought het own Bible as did President Biden.  

"By revoking the Keystone Pipeline, President Biden is destroying 11,000 jobs." 

False.  The contract is with a Canadian company which says it will put about 1,000 workers out of a job, not 11,000.  But within two weeks, the company says, most of those workers, who are from Canada, will be back at work in other locations.  

"A video shows President Biden saying 'salute the marines' right after he hears the words in an earpiece he was wearing at the inauguration." 

False.  You have to wonder where this stuff comes from.  Then again, we've had four years of some of the most outrageous lies coming from Trump and everyone associated with him.  So that explains it all.  

And these right wing extremists claim that mainstream media is biased?  😐😆

 

Talk Radio's Role in the Insurrection

"Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it."--Edmund Burke

Much of the blame for the single-minded ignorance and hatred of divergent political views in this country can be laid at the feet of Rush Limbaugh.  He's about as un-American and unpatriotic as you can be in his deliberate intentions to foster hatred and build support for the white supremacist, white Christian nationalist, fascist agenda he has pushed.  He expresses hatred for anyone who disagrees with him in a variety of ways including name-calling and mockery.  He advocates for a dictatorship of the right that would relegate anyone who isn't a white conservative who thinks like he does to second class citizenship.  

The first time I heard his radio program, I was stunned by the bigotry and vitriolic hatred that was spewing out of the car radio speakers.  Normally, I never listen to the AM side of the dial, time and technology has passed up most of those radio stations, but I was driving from New Orleans to Nashville and was on I-59 in Eastern Mississippi during a very stormy afternoon with tornadoes and golf-ball sized hail dropping down out of multiple thunderstorms.  I found a news radio station that was giving weather updates every 15 minutes, in between segments of Limbaugh's broadcast.  

He was in the process of making fun of the way African Americans pronounce certain words, belittling their intelligence because many of them pronounce the word "ask" like "axe".  After ten minutes of that, he launched into a monologue about African Americans and welfare, claiming that Clinton's budget proposals would include generous doses of welfare so that he could secure the black vote and hoping that Clinton's liberal immigration policy letting thousands of Mexicans across the border would cause a race war as they tried to grab their share of the free money.  I switched back to the FM side of the dial, deciding I'd just keep an eye out on the weather myself and enjoy music instead.  

Limbaugh's broadcasts laid a foundation for what Trump would be able to turn into his base and successfully capture the 2016 Republican nomination.  By then, Limbaugh and his wannabes in right wing extremist media, along with his Fox News sycophants, all following the pied piper because they could share the same audience to boost their ratings, were able to turn the GOP from its heir apparent Jeb Bush toward Trump.  He wasn't on their radar when he ran in 2000 as a "reform party" candidate, but they lined up in 2016 in time to jerk the rug out from under Bush.  In typical Limbaugh fashion, he claims not to have jumped on the bandwagon so fast, but ideologically, he was on the Trump train long before the GOP field narrowed in 2016 and you don't have to use the word "endorse" to accomplish that purpose. 

Limbaugh has proclaimed loudly and clearly his complete support for the January 6 insurrection since it happened.  But then, he's no patriot and is not a supporter of either the American Constitution or the Democratic Republican form of government.  The question is, did he say anything prior to the coup that directly advocated it or that would have encouraged people who specifically participated in it?  That needs to be investigated.  

I am a firm believer in the Constitution and in the guarantee of free speech.  But free speech does not guarantee the right to commit sedition, advocate the overthrow of the government or come without any responsibility attached to it when people listen to what you say, form a mob and commit a crime that you encouraged, even if you deny that it was your fault.  There's a new sheriff in town who has the ability to appoint a leader over the FCC and I think its time for some new, constitutionally-tempered new rules to make the extremist right wing media accountable for the damage it causes.   It's not censorship if the rules apply equally to everyone.  

Inciting a seditious insurrection intended at overthrowing a government that derives its power from the people is unconstitutional and illegal.  It is not guaranteed free speech."  

Limbaugh claims he's dying from cancer and I don't think any of his potential successors have the ability to draw the kind or size of audience he once did.  But there are others to whom they will scatter, some of them worse.  This is a mess that needs to be cleaned up.  Social media permanently disabled the tweeter-in-chief days before he left office.  There ought to be a way to hold Breitbart, Newsmax, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson and the rest of the right wing extremist media to a standard that protects the free speech the founders intended and makes the extremist right wing media face the  choice between spouting off and paying a high price for it, or being responsible

 

The Perversion of the Christian Gospel and the Hijacking of Christian Churches

"For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce great signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, even the elect."  Matthew 24:24 NRSV

"And what I do, I will also continue to do, in order to deny an opportunity to those who want an opportunity to be recognized as our equals in what they boast about.  For such boasters are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.  And no wonder!  Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.  So it is not strange if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness.  Their end will match their deeds."  2 Corinthians 11:12-15 NRSV*

In 1993, right after the election of President Clinton, Dr. Adrian Rogers, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, one of the largest and most well known congregations in the SBC,  preached a sermon entitled, "Does Character Count."  Dr. Rogers did not mention the President by name, but many Evangelical Christians who used his words in their own criticism of the President, and in their arguments that Christians should not support him by voting for him, certainly did.  

Evangelicals laser-focused their criticism of Clinton's Presidency on their stated character requirements for someone to serve in any public office and based it on their personal judgment that he did not measure up.  Their standards and expectations were indeed expecting the President to be the "Pastor-in-chief," in fact, their expectations represented higher standards than most of them would have expected of the pastor of their own church.  It renders that recent cliche hypocritical. 

I'm not sure that Dr. Rogers would have walked his 1993 sermon back when Trump came along, like most other Evangelical Christians immersed in right wing politics have done.  He passed away several years ago.  But the pass on character and morality that most Evangelical Christians, including quite a few self-appointed leaders, have given Trump is a definite abandonment of the same standards to which they held President Clinton.  They've been led astray.  The "elect", if they really are that, have been deceived.

Trump's Fame Was the Result of His Debauchery

Trump flaunted his lack of character in order to build his fame and reputation.  But there was more to it than that.  His niece, Mary Trump, in her book Too Much and Not Enough:  How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man, points to behavior which indicates deep personality flaws and behavior that indicates mental illness.  She accurately predicted the fit that he would throw and the lengths to which he would go to deny losing the election and she was right.  But his niece wasn't the only person who put out warnings about Trump.  

What is hard to understand is how so many white, Evangelical Christians were convinced to support this man in spite of his past behavior that includes two divorces to marry the "other women" he was involved with in affairs, bragging about having "hundreds" of illicit sexual relationships, business fraud, thousands upon thousands of lies, and a whole long lifestyle of what the Christian scripture describes as "sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies and things like these. (Galatians 5:19-21)

Though few Evangelical leaders involved in right wing politics stepped back from pronouncing judgment on Clinton's spiritual condition, I'm going to step back from doing the same regarding Trump.  I'll just say that his actions and behavior have not shown any attitude of repentance, which would be the first step toward redemption, and his own words on this subject would indicate that the conversion experience most Christians require to justify bad behavior never occurred.  The fact that Trump himself has frequently proclaims that he hasn't done anything for which he needs to ask forgiveness is a self-judgment.  But most Evangelicals would deny, or blow right past that statement, even though the proof is pretty clear. 

To be frank, Trump's lack of character, and obvious personality flaws making him incapable of handling the Presidency rank far higher on my political priority list than issues which are never going to be much more than platform planks for the GOP anyway.  I'd have never voted for him, not for public office of any kind and that decision is based on the Biblical guidance I get from my own, personal Evangelical Christian faith.  Events of the past four years have proven my decision to be the absolute right one based on Biblical values and Christian faith.  

Leading the Elect Astray

It has been more than disappointing and discouraging to see how Evangelical Christians have completely abandoned their core convictions in cult-like fashion and have not only given Trump their support, but have, with their own lies, turned him into some kind of paragon of virtue and in many cases, a "savior," echoing Trump's own words that he is "the only one" who can solve these problems.  I guess they have, sadly, forgotten who their savior really is.  But don't try to make that point in a conversation with a Christian Trump supporter.  It'll be the last time you ever hear from them. 

Matthew 24:24 kept popping into my mind when Trump was first running for President in 2016.  That phrase, "to lead astray, if possible, even the elect," kept running through my mind.  I know the literal context of the verse is different and you can get into major theological arguments over the use of the term "elect," but it's clear that for right wing, politically involved Evangelical Christians, the values system has drastically changed.  And so has the preaching.  

Evangelical Christians are characterized by the doctrine of Biblical Inerrancy.  That is the belief that the text of the Bible, both Old And New Testament, are without error in either the transmission of the words from the original authors or in the application of the content.  Some Evangelicals require an interpretation that considers the historical context of the author's original words while others, mostly Fundamentalists, prefer a literal, "word for word, verse by verse" interpretation.  Honesty and truthfulness are core values.  Forgiveness and grace are abundant gifts but they are connected to conviction of sin and repentance.  

But the caustic criticism and vicious lies which many in the "religious political right" use to attack opponents, mostly Democrats like the Clintons and President Obama, are no more consistent with the scripture they claim to believe than their giving a pass to Trump whose behavior is a litany of consistency with Galatians 5:19-21. Some give him a pass and blithely dismiss it with the "I'm not voting for a pastor" line, which is hypocritical.  Others either ignore it and pretend it doesn't exist, or they are completely blind to it and have turned Trump into some kind of paragon of virtue.  That kind of denial is the sign of a cult, brain-washing, radicalization or whatever you want to call it.  

And in most cases, it's willful and deliberate.  

It Keeps on Going

There's been no repentance.  Most of the Evangelical supporters of Trump don't seem to be capable of seeing his lack of character, incompetence, or immoral behavior.  The simplistic dismissal of it is that he's being picked on by his opposition who won't leave him alone and let him do his job, or it is just an attack from the mainstream media.  More disturbing than the blindness is that there are those who are willing to step outside of their Christian worldview to actually defend this evil man.  

I was raised in a very conservative church that had a lot of solid "rules" when it came to the kind of outward behavior which gave evidence of the spiritual transformation that had taken place within the soul.  A distinction was made between "worldly" behavior and "spiritual" behavior in things like the way you dressed, your hairstyle, your language, being truthful and not lying, whether or not you smoked or drank alcohol, how many times a week you passed through the doors of the church for worship, prayer meeting and Bible study.  Things like adultery and divorce, fornication, were at the far end of the "bad" spectrum.  So it is very difficult for me to wrap my mind around people who were raised in similar kinds of churches with similar guidelines for behavior giving someone like Trump, who characterizes all of that bad behavior into a single personality, a pass and as a result of that, having to own his bad behavior because frankly, that's exactly what people will think they are doing. 

Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs lest they trample them and turn and attack you.  Matthew 7:6, ESV

And if you ignored all the bad behavior over the past four years, and for most of Trump's life before that, it's impossible to ignore the past two and a half months.  The lies, which have literally been a daily part of this Presidential administration, and which have done enough damage already, have turned deadly and dangerous to the American Republic.  The lies about voter fraud in the election, not only provably false but proven completely false by evidence, still manage to convince many of his supporters that he is right and the election was stolen.  What's been stolen are thousands of churches, from their Biblical mission and purpose.   

Is God writing "Ichabod" over the door to Evangelical Christian churches? 

https://time.com/5932014/donald-trump-christian-supporters/?fbclid=IwAR3aCVv0iGyYTNUXcNju9R4-EDC1MwJBMyir1GV5xRWW0Wm74AIx-oxVGMk