The Failure of Impeachment

Regardless of the actual outcome today – whether the Senate actually votes to convict Trump or not – the process of impeachment is sadly failing.

I will say upfront that in my opinion former President Trump is richly deserving of conviction in this impeachment. He devoted a truly astonishing amount energy to manipulating people to betray our basic governing agreements, especially around elections and the transfer of power. He focused on this significantly more than he focused on actually governing, especially after the election. To me, that is a long-term and acute betrayal of his oath of office that accumulates to an impeachable offense. (And other disclaimers: not an attorney, not a Democrat.)

The sad failure I see is that it has become clear that impeachment has no chance, possibly never had a chance, of being useful in holding any office-holder (perhaps especially the president) accountable for anything, ever. The bodies responsible for impeaching, both the House and the Senate, are much too politicized for that. The process is basically useless. We need to figure out a better way of making sure presidents and others are held accountable. And we need to amend the constitution to reflect it. This is one gift former President Trump has given us: as good as our constitution is, we now see that there are some terrible blind spots in it. Those allow and encourage a kind of power-manipulation, partisanship, groupthink, lack of courage, that skew our government and hurt our country. Let’s make it better.

A little sobriety – even a tiny bit

Yes, by all means, do not let the coronavirus stop you from going out and doing things – don’t let it “dominate your life.”

If you happen to have the best health care available to anyone in the nation, hordes of doctors at your elbow whose only concern is your health, no need to pay for your health care and hospitalization, the latest and best treatments available (and of course those doctors to monitor your responses and adjust accordingly!) – then go for it! No holds barred, no breathing holes masked!

If, however, like many/most of us, you have a smidge of extremely expensive health care or none at all, with the likelihood that an emergency (like hospitalization for coronavirus, for even a day or two) would cause financial disaster/bankruptcy, zero doctors whose only concern is your health, zero doctors to continue tracking you once you return home, and a life full of people you care about (and don’t want to transmit coronavirus to) – then maybe a little sobriety and prevention is a better choice.

PRIDE in our Great Country

Once again, our president has asserted that we should have pride in our country, and if we don’t, there’s nothing in it for us. This time it is in a 9/22 Tweet related to his recent BAN on “efforts to indoctrinate government employees”. And once again, I am a little confused by his apparent implication that any questioning of the status quo is somehow a violation of pride in our country. One of the things that I’ve always been proud about, related to the United States of America, is the fact that we can question the status quo, that we can notice when things are not working the way we’d like and make changes. That we, the people, the citizens of the country, have the right and responsibility to do that.

The version of pride he’s advocating sounds more like pride as in the first of the 7 Deadly Sins: “dangerously corrupt selfishness, the putting of one’s own desires, urges, wants, and whims before the welfare of other people” or “believing that one is essentially and necessarily better, superior, or more important than others.” Pride, in its negative form, cuts us off from God and so leads to all those other deadly sins (greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth). This version of pride carries no requirement for self-reflection or improvement, nor for listening to others. This version of pride shows a decided absence of the virtue of humility.

The tweeted version of pride hardens and excludes. It’s a version of “my way or the highway.” This is not government of the people, by the people, for the people. Can we instead do something like this: link pride in the principles of our nation with humility in practicing them?

Here are two other reflections of pride, from artistic and theological perspectives:

Dante, Purgatory (Canto 12) – where the first terrace in Purgatory is where one must let go of pride as a foundation for moving up

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae – a collection of deep questions and arguments around pride

A More Perfect Union – Please

Wow. I am so appalled, so outraged, so infuriated, that I hardly know where to begin.

It could be this: has our president ever studied history? Is he even remotely aware that suppression of change movements never actually, ultimately works?

It could instead be this: taking firearms to protests to help police keep order? Really??!!?? 17-year-olds? If you’ve read some of my posts, you know I’m a gun owner and firearms instructor, so this is not about basic rights. It’s about the idea that someone without specific and extensive training can think that the way to handle protests is through application of firearms. It’s about 17-year-olds thinking they have the maturity to know how to apply firearms to this situation (pretty well understood that they don’t). This is much more likely to put police officer lives in danger than to help them. As a firearms instructor, I am outraged that people are bringing assault weapons – or any firearms for that matter – into crowds. It is impossible to “know your target and what is beyond” in these circumstances. Police train for years to be able to handle these kinds of situations, and even then there’s not always a good outcome. This is so wrong.

Or, it could be this: our president says the federal government should stop funding certain kinds of trainings around racism. The claim is that these train people to “believe divisive, anti-American propaganda” and that they “run counter to the fundamental beliefs for which our Nation has stood since its inception.” Wow. First, trainings don’t make people “believe” things. They can’t. Beliefs are not that easily changed. They can offer people new ideas and perspectives, which those people may reflect on and choose to incorporate. Self-reflection is not anti-American. Second, what exactly is “anti-American” about looking at questions around freedom and opportunity, and considering how to increase our access to the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? These are the very most American things – the ideas that inspired the founding of our country! Just take a look at the Declaration of Independence! Third, how is it even possible that one guy, who has probably given zero serious thought to this topic (ok, that’s too harsh – he may have given it a few serious thoughts somewhere along the line) can make this kind of decision alone? When many, many others in many fields, organizations, institutions, etc. have given it A LOT of thought and find it worthwhile? This I find much more anti-American. One guy, imposing his views (yes, even if there are others that agree with him – it’s about the process).

It could even be this: our president reportedly referred to Marines who were killed in wartime as “losers” and “suckers”. Multiple sources seem to confirm the story. He of course denies it. Unfortunately, because of his well-documented scornful comments about John McCain (“I like people who weren’t captured”), it is all too easy to believe that he has as little respect for other veterans.

There are so many more, and so much more to say about each of those – but that’s enough for today. I would ask this, of all of us: let’s de-escalate enough that we can actually anchor ourselves in our true values, and listen to each other. “We the people” really does mean all of us – we need all of our voices in this conversation.

Face Reality with Eyes Open

Yesterday, President Trump said, “Our nation is witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children.” He went on to talk about tearing down statues, defacing memorials, etc., attributing this to a “far-left fascism that demands absolute allegiance.”

Here’s where I agree: any political movement or position which demands “total submission from anyone who disagrees” sets up a dangerous culture. That has no place in the U.S.

Here’s where I disagree. He seems to be doing exactly that himself, by labeling as fascist all those who are protesting racial injustice, all those who are pointing out that our heroes had flaws.

The U.S. may be (and/or have been at some periods) “the most just and exceptional nation ever to exist on Earth.” That in no way means it is perfect and needs no more scrutiny. Our leaders, including the founding fathers, are and have always been human, with both wonderful and troubling qualities. Our country, likewise, began as an experiment and a reaction against a very specific political context, and has always had both wonderful and troubling qualities. Not surprisingly, those who designed the experiment (the founding fathers, and their social strata) mostly experienced the wonderful qualities – they were fixing a problem that they personally experienced. Others – Native Americans, people brought from Africa as slaves, women, etc. – have experienced far more of the troubling qualities.

It is completely in alignment with the founding principles of the U.S. that those who are experiencing troublesome qualities in this country seek to right them.

We as individuals hope to grow and evolve into better people as we gain life experience and knowledge; likewise, we might hope our country will evolve into a better place for all its citizens, and into a better world citizen. Growth of that sort requires facing reality with our eyes open – both as we look at ourselves, and as we look at our country and its history. Far from dishonoring, this is how we can best love and honor ourselves and our country. This is true patriotism.