ANARCHY is NOT FREEDOM

Freedom is a complicated matter. On one hand, it is the basis for a society built upon unity, protection, general welfare and the pursuit of happiness (fulfillment) as the pillars of an independent democratic Republic. On the other hand, freedom can also be perverted into a tool of oppression and destruction. Each of us has the chore of separating the chaff from the wheat, the good from the bad, the destructive from the constructive. Hopefully, what follows may help to sharpen our discernment. 

First, some (New World) dictionary definitions of FREEDOM: 

“The power or right to act, speak, or think without hindrance or restraint.” 

“Implies the absence of hindrance, restraint, confinement, repression – syn. liberty, independence” 

“Being free from the usual rules, patterns; or, being exempt from duty, obligations; leading to license – 

“freedom that consists in violating the usual, rules, laws, or practices, either by consent or abuse of liberty (such as ‘slander’ which is ‘license of the tongue’ and abuse of freedom of speech) Som 

Quotable Quotes: 

“May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right.” Peter Marshall 

“To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” Nelson Mandela 

While freedom has more aspects than these definitions and quotes represent, it is my purpose today to describe the dichotomy that currently exists between freedom as opportunity and responsibility, and freedom as one’s own possession to use in any way one pleases no matter its effects, especially as a tool to shield the undermining of the rights and liberties of others. 

It comes down to the difference between freedom and license, between rights and liberties as privileges for the few or as equal opportunities for the greatest number of our society. It comes down to how one understands our unique form of democracy and how we choose to enhance or undermine that unique ideal. lt is my opinion that certain sectors of our society have confused the two and are making a mockery of freedom, liberty, and justice by their words and actions leading this nation into an authoritarian regime under which there shall be no free choices, no good options, no liberties and no rights other than those bestowed upon the chosen few selected by that regime. 

Let me be clear that I am referring to that sector of society that went to Charlottesville to violently disrupt a peaceful protest opposing honorific statues to Confederate leaders. The attackers consisted of white supremacists, neo-Nazis, KKK members along with other Far Right sympathizers. The “Good people on both sides” remark from Donald Trump only served to place him squarely in that particular camp. 

I am speaking as well of a group of politicians (and their supporters) who have, on the state and federal levels, (and more and more in small towns and villages) created and passed laws that restrict voting rights, attack a woman’s right to abortion, and perpetuate lies that undermine the credibility of our government at every level. 

I am also referring to the mob that stormed our Capitol building in an attempt to overthrow the newly elected government by making sure VP Mike Pence declared the 2020 electoral votes invalid in certain states, and to hang him if he did not. 

I am also now including all those who supported the contingent of truckers in Canada who by their actions disrupted the flow of products and goods between our two countries to protest state-mandated vaccinations to combat COVID19 and its variants. 

And, to be sure, I am including the former president and his advisors, cronies and henchmen, along with his supporters, especially at FOX News, for the lies, the incompetence in handling the pandemic, and the overall attitude of having no restraints on any actions they may take, including the actual eating by Trump of public documents! 

Let us be as clear as possible once again: Freedom is not the license to do anything you damn well please. That is not only license – which is the abuse of freedom – it is also known as anarchy – under which there is no protection and no guardianship for the well-being of all the members of the nation. Freedom is not the right to shed one’s responsibility for the welfare of other citizens. 

Freedom does not include lying to others about an election or about COVID and its effects. Freedom does not include a right to expose someone else to a deadly disease. Anti-maskers and anti vac-ers are abusers of freedom because they deny the right to a fulfilling life for anyone who may be exposed by them to this deadly virus. Government mandates for following certain proven techniques for combating the spread of this deadly virus do not constitute attacks upon our freedom. Those mandates are rather a necessary part of the protection of our freedom to life’s benefits that our government is pledged to protect as its constitutional duty. 

As was done to win a World War against the deadly toxin of fascism, this war against a deadly disease requires some sacrifices from people. Such sacrifices often require us to endure inconveniences, as well as uncomfortable measures in order to save or enhance the freedoms we enjoy. Those of us who lived through World War II remember it well –the rationing of food and supplies, the war bonds we bought by not buying other things; the old family car that we kept in spite of its condition, the cut-backs on Christmas presents, the volunteer jobs that took our parents away while relatives or neighbors watched over us, We remember the worry we expended over family members and friends serving in the armed forces, some of whom were MANDATED to serve by a draft imposed by government. 

That "greatest generation" answered all those mandates as calls to duty and as obligations to a common cause of preserving democracy and its freedoms for all. The People and governments were serious about fighting to preserve freedom! We knew that we had to pull together to win the fight for the rights and liberties for which we stood.   So, we endured, and we maintained our rights and freedoms for our nation, and for all nations who might want to experiment with the democratic approach to governing. 

It must be said again: Freedom is NOT the right to say “I don’t want to do this, therefore I have the freedom from being mandated to do so. No, freedom is the taking of responsibility for others’ lives when certain tools are prescribed for quelling deadly diseases and the pandemics they create. Under current circumstances, anyone who refuses to protect the well-being of others threatens the well-being and indeed the freedom of all to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 

In other words, the anti-maskers and anti-vaccers are opposed to fighting this enemy supposedly to maintain freedom for all, but mainly in favor of their own freedom from government mandates.  They believe they have the right to individual freedom even if it threatens the freedom of others. Unfortunately, that is the definition of license and of anarchy, and it comes very close to defining tyranny as well. 

The Far0Right are not advocating freedom; they advocate the undermining of freedom as it applies to other human beings. Their form of freedom leads to anarchy and privileged freedoms for the few, not the many. Another example of the anarchy of their kind of freedom introduces the use of a tool or strategy that they have escalated of late. The mob attack on the Capitol and its legislators, staff and police is in their definition their right when it comes to overturning a fraudulent election. Fortunately for us, Trump’s Big Lie upon which they based their right (freedom) to act, has no credibility because their allegations have never been accepted as proof in any court or by any audit of returns, or even by fake audits conducted by Far-Right state legislators and their contractors. 

Their attack upon democracy is the epitome of why their freedom is anarchistic and licentious. Revolutionary action is usually the antithesis of freedom because it is often based upon manufactured sets of lies, not on facts, common sense, or critical examination by a non-partisan entity. Again, January 6th was the epitome of anarchy not of freedom, because it was not the considered action of a nation against an oppressor. It was the brainchild of a small group of planners who invited the unwarranted attack to happen through their spokesman, Donald J. Trump. This was an attempt to take away the freedom inherent in the election of leaders by the majority of our eligible voters, a right and freedom that makes ours a government of the People (under majority rule) not a government by faction or minority and certainly not by one man declared an absolute ruler. 

Once again, we are witnesses to the undermining of freedom by a faction of the Far Right who claimed to be acting in obedience to their ‘rightful leader’ using their ‘right’ to overturn fraudulent votes. But such mob action to undo an election is again the definition of anarchy and license. It uses the concept of freedom, ill-defined, to abet criminal actions performed by a faction not in the majority. Freedom cannot reign where democracy is placed under attack. What’s more, democracy and freedom for all cannot survive the violence associated with that attack. 

A violent attack on our center of government is a mockery of freedom because there are few  greater threats to our freedom than an armed attack against its vital center. This was not an expression of freedom at work or of patriotism on display or of active protest. This was a coup d’etat planned to overthrow the legitimately elected government of Biden-Harris. Freedom was dealt a serious blow by the threat to overturn it and to extend the reign of the defeated Trump. We are now in danger of a final coup that will take place if Trump is elected in 2024 because he wants nothing less than absolute power over this nation. Freedom be damned. 

We cannot leave this subject without mentioning other examples of freedoms being undermined by the anarchistic Far-Right. 

● Voting rights restricted means freedom of all voters has been attacked 

● Threats of physical violence against government employees appointed and elected; and against health workers in all capacities for their attempts to fight this pandemic 

● The latest revelation of destruction of documents in the White House by Trump himself undermines any freedom we thought we had to monitor and assess our government 

● The support of Trump and his legislative puppets for the Truckers in Canada, and the invitations from FOX News to come on down and extend that anarchy to our nation 

● The continuing destruction by state legislatures and the Supreme Court of the rights and freedoms gained by racial minorities and by LBGQT persons. Those government entities should be defending and enhancing those rights. 

Freedom is not a license to do as we please. Freedom is not just a privilege that is granted by the government to a chosen few. Freedom is not the right to choose who will vote and who will not Freedom is not the license to use revengeful punishment for any form of opposition. Mostly, freedom is not a tool for attacking or undermining the rights and liberties of others. Freedom doesn't give anyone the right to endanger or to threaten the well-being of any other person or persons. Freedom does not include a right to treat one group of citizens differently than others Freedom is not enhanced by the use of violence to secure one's own philosophy or agenda 

Freedom is a delicate entity that requires the full attention of all the concerned citizens of this nation, YOUR FREEDOM is AT STAKE HERE and NOW ! 

Thus we come to the other side of what freedom means. Freedom starts with a recognition and acceptance of the equality of our citizenship and our opportunities under law. Freedom is maintained by watchfulness and critical assessment by voters and other residents Freedom is not a tool to be used to bully others. Freedom’s maintenance and enhancement are dependent on what we say and do as active citizens – we have an obligation not just to free ourselves from unwarranted government overreach but so that others may enjoy the benefits and opportunities presented in a free society. 

It is not a false sense of freedom from government that is the key to freedom; it is the responsibility to use our freedoms and liberties and rights to advance our form of governance and the overall freedom to which we all are entitled. 

It is important to hear again the words of Nelson Mandela and some lesser-known quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr: 

Mandela – “To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” 

King – “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” “Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred” “ I am not interested in power for power’s sake; but I'm interested in power that is moral, that is right and that is good.” “Freedom is freedom to be something one did not imagine: the source of goodness, rights and justice for others.” 

The basic lesson of all this is simple. We are concerned with the practice of freedoms for all not for a chosen few, and certainly not for the power-seeker Trump or his demented followers.\ 

Freedom involves one in sacrifice for others; in acting for others; in recognizing that freedom is a delicate commodity desired by many but only sustainable if protected and advocated for all. 

Confiscating and perverting the concept of Freedom to maintain control of government and society by a minority of white supremacists is nothing short of anarchy of violent insurrection by the Far-Right.

REJECT THE FAR-RIGHT who are seeking power through their misuse of freedom. They are anarchists who want license to control your freedom, your rights, and your money.  

YOU ARE THE ANSWER!  MAKE YOUR STAND for equal rights, for equal justice, for equal opportunities, for the well-being of all, for the ideals of our constitutional democracy.  

BE a NOBLE PRACTIONER of RESPONSIBLE FREEDOM 

Is TYRANNY Our DESTINY?

Tyranny is found in many forms .  However, it can be said to exist wherever some individual or group seeks unauthorized power in order to exert  control over what others say and do.  Thus, it shows up as a boyfriend or girlfriend attempting to control whatever the opposite gender or partner believes or proposes.  Often, it seeps into marriage relationships where one partner seeks control over the other in ways too numerous to mention.

Or, it can simply be displayed by persons who are in helping professions who suddenly discover the power they have to influence people’s lives because of their client’s dependence on the help or services being delivered.  Thus, people living with poverty or limited resources may be found making every attempt to avoid the over-bearing helper who tries to control their lives through the very help they are meant to provide without extra strings attached.  It could be like having a social worker tell a client living in poverty that they must do something extra to “earn” their benefits, such as disciplining their children as the worker believes they should; or, by taking an inappropriate action that is to the worker’s benefit rather than that of the client.   

And then, of course, there is that whole area of private enterprise where control is sought mostly in hidden ways that too often remain hidden until someone blows a whistle of knowledge and truth.

 The tyranny of private enterprise is the bane of our existence because every day it impinges upon our lives, and we are prone to ignore or deny it simply because it is too much to contend against.  AND SO, WE TEND TO ALLOW business, and advertising, schools and professionals, technocrats, repairmen and salespersons to take advantage of our ignorance, our apathy, our uncritical demeanor or our willingness to just “get through the day” all of which can be invitations to exploit, swindle, access our private information, and make enhanced profit for themselves or their businesses without a whimper from us.  AND WHAT IS AMAZING is the propaganda that capitalism has produced over decades that this form of tyranny is good for us!

The growth of privatization of governmental functions is moving ahead in the form of grants, vouchers, and contracts that are being swallowed up by private enterprises more than eager to be paid with taxpayer dollars instead of having to raise capital from private sponsors, bank loans or by other private means of funding.  The earnings at taxpayer expense  are kept quiet but what we do know from www.crimereport.org is that

“A few businesses are involved in almost every aspect of prison life, taking in billions of dollars every year for products and services, often with little oversight, Axios reports. Taxpayers, incarcerated people and their families spend around $85 billion a year on public and private correction facilities, bail and prison services, says the Prison Policy Initiative.”

For-profit prison companies started in response to the government’s incapacity to handle the skyrocketing incarcerated population.

  As for private schools pocketing federal dollars, www.corpwatch.org comments:

“ In Jefferson County, Colorado, Pepsi donated $2 million to build a school football stadium-in exchange for exclusive rights to sell soft drinks in all 140 district schools and to advertise in school gymnasiums and athletic fields. That deal is estimated to earn the company $7.3 million over seven years.  It doesn't end there. Education in the U.S. has become big business. The "education industry," a term coined by EduVentures, an investment banking firm, is estimated to be worth between $630 and $680 billion in the United States. The stock value of 30 publicly traded educational companies is growing twice as fast as the Dow Jones Average. Brokerage firms like Lehman Brothers and Montgomery Securities have specialists seeking out venture capital for the 'education industry’.” 

BUT we buy into it!  For example, we actually allow pollution of our air, water, and earth – indeed our whole planet – managing to pay exorbitant prices for things that tyranny says are good for us like gas oil, over-priced drugs, unhealthy foods and drink, etc.    We literally BUY IT ALL because it is engrained in us that opposition or protest of business, big or small, is hurtful to our economy and will somehow ruin our lives.  And thus, the destruction imposed upon us by such tyranny goes “by the boards” consequences be damned.  Just often enough, someone is punished for their miscreant behavior, and we are convinced that all is well, even though our planet keeps crying out to us that it is dying and needs our dramatic and dynamic help against the tyrannical owners who control our daily actions and reactions. We demur, we delay, we fail to hold tyrants responsible, and we elect leaders who have no business in public office because they don’t give a damn about public welfare; they only care about their own welfare, seeking public office as their chance to gain a sense of power and control over others to reap gain for themselves. 

WE FAIL TO LISTEN or INVESTIGATE.  WE FAIL TO CRITICIZE.  WE FAIL TO EXAMINE. WE FAIL TO HOLD ACCOUNTABLE –our economic, political, and public leaders.  INSTEAD, we buy into their ideologies, their falsehoods, their excuses, their schemes and their supposed leadership and understanding of issues.  What we also fail to do is to demand effective representation, including their full attention to our needs and desires, their loyalty to the Constitution and their complete  responsibility to represent us, not to act for themselves or for their monied sponsors. We fail to call them to account, to measure their performance with strict evaluation criteria and then to vote based on the gathered facts rather than on impressions or fantasies, propaganda and made-up negativities and conspiracies.  Most of all, we need to know what proportion of our problems have been addressed and resolved by them.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 We then become disillusioned and vote on a false unfounded basis instead of on research, facts, and truth  – on CRITICAL ANALYSIS.  And we end up changing parties-in-power but do not necessarily end up with men and women who have a better sense of governing than those we just threw out.  We buy the myth that change is adequate in itself, but that only starts the tyranny of power-grabbing all over again.  We rarely change the system itself to guard against the tyrannies of personal aggrandizement and personal ignorance and their avoidance of sacrifice, the general welfare and the superiority of service to humanity rather than profit for the few. 

Tyranny comes to us in many forms; let us mention a limited number for context.

·        Children treated as pawns, possessions, and numbers with little concern for their life needs; schools are ‘hotbeds’ of little tyrannies imposed on children

·        Domestic abuse on the rise, and women kept in subordinate roles both by administrators and staff

·        Shooting of innocent persons of color during unwarranted confrontations; sentencing of minorities to lengthy and unjust prison sentences

·        Landlords who ignore laws and regulations and the rights of renters;

·        Unnecessary rules, regulations, fees or fines, licensing, paperwork and a myriad of government requirements that do little more than force uniformity and conformity upon citizens under the guise of ‘streamlining’ administration’;  too often the motive is not to enhance service but to ease administrative workload;

·        Voluminous Personal Information-gathering about consumers/citizens by mostly unregulated websites with tie-ins to government

·        The tyranny of elected representatives having access to inside information that enables congresspersons to profit; and, using government to enrich themselves as with farm subsidies; plus, having special privileges as with health care choices and free surgery

 These are all examples of the tyrannies we accept without being outraged, and that acceptance leads to greater tyranny which is how despotism takes over.  Inattention to such violations of oath and trust are benchmarks on the path of destruction for  a system built upon common cause, equal rights, equal justice, protection and safety, and the welfare of a whole society.  Those who believe that their own rights and freedoms are more important than someone else’s  are the real tyrants in our time.

We have fallen prey to the tyranny of the individual versus the welfare of the many.  We are falling prey to the tyranny of one person having power to make and enforce law as she/he sees fit.  We have fallen prey to the false idea that social welfare is the horrifying hobgoblin that is the lead-in to socialism and communism.  Many have bought the false idea that asserting the will of the minority and the elite few is healthiest for our country when a greater unity and enhanced community are what our Constitution is founded on. 

We have been seduced into believing that certain people are not worthy of full citizenship or of the right to decide matters of import that come before us as a nation, but have instead chosen to elect leaders who tend to disown their oath of office by not defending our constitutional form of governing in favor of a regime that will balance a budget (to what end?), settle for smaller, weaker government (and lack of performance )  support an elite few millionaires rather than the multi-faceted population.  We are bamboozled by people who support violence as a tool of control of others’ thoughts, words and deeds so that only what they say and do matters. And now, many labor under a flawed concept that only a tyrannical leader of white supremacists should possess the power of absolute control.  WE have bought the ultimate falsehood that truth is unattainable; facts are fiction, and people who disagree with leaders are disloyal and unpatriotic.  The tyranny of untruth and violent control has begun to tyrannize public officials. 

Moreover, we are facing the shocking truth that some (a sizeable portion in some districts) forces ostensibly dedicated to citizen safety and protection are some of the very forces who are threatening certain citizens and officeholders with harm and are thus threatening our whole system of equality and unity of laws which constitute our justice system. Legal forces being used to intimidate and threaten citizens is the essence of tyrannical governing.

 Finally, the designated plotter against our whole form of governing, Donald J. Trump, has for years used the tools of government and the legal system to undermine that system.  That is the ultimate way that tyranny prevails-- by looking like and acting as though it is a legitimate organization with legitimate structure, rules, policies and programs .  It is the followers of that leader who are the tools used to commandeer and control every aspect of government as though government’s parts are their personal possessions with the gleaning of profit from them theirs to take without remorse or punishment.

Tyranny is on our doorstep.  A man who was essentially allowed tyrannical behavior from childhood and who grew into the role of bully and narcissist; a man who was raised to admire strength, revenge, and unemotional demeanor; topped off with an  ability to control others.\—that man now controls a political party, the Supreme Court majority, and has a base of followers ,who accept without examination the ideology and behavior of a man with absolute accumulated power over others.  And they stand ready to vote against our democracy and in favor of his tyranny. 

There is precious little time left to counteract the tyranny that we face.  The one Party dedicated to make the effort has failed because of the lack of a specific detailed Plan and the lack of the use of forceful persuasion over the two Senators responsible for voting against the welfare of their Constituency and the welfare of society in general.  They should be expelled from the Democratic Party, from committees of Congress, from receiving party funds, and from access to sponsors . 

Negotiations with them are futile as they have only their own futures in mind and are acting to enhance their positions.  They need to be held accountable for voting for a tyrant and not for democracy. And the White House needs to exempt them from federal aid whenever possible private funding and backing from traditionally Democratic party sources .  It may mean they will go Republican to win re-election, and that is a risk, But the bigger risk is their support for anti-democratic principles and ideals. Time to get tough on their fake bipartisanship and call it what it is which is--  the tyranny of  personal attention and aggrandizement.  They epitomize the tyranny of using public office for personal gain.

A Tyrant in the White House is not inevitable – especially if he (or she) ends  up convicted  of numerous illegalities that render him ineligible for public office  That should be the aim of every Democrat  and Progressive: to LOCK HIM UP and throw away the key.  Trump the Tyrant must experience his COMEUPPANCE after a lifetime of scofflaw behavior and  narcissistic harm imposed on others. No Trump Tyrant in the White House and no Trumpians in Congress would be an ideal situation.  Tyranny is not our Destiny nor an acceptable goal.  Let us root out Trumpism before it can harm us permanently

January 6th Challenge: A CRITICAL CHOICE

                                                                                                                                January 6, 2021 – call it what you will, but it is now a “Day that will live in Infamy” on a similar level with December 7, 1941, and September 11, 2001, when attacks upon the United States of America were carried out by people intent on bringing permanent harm to our nation, our people, our form of government, and our way of life.

Article III, Section 3 of the Constitution of the United States defines treason rather narrowly as “levying war against the United States, or “adhering to their enemies giving them aid and comfort.”  In my opinion, and that of others of greater note, that definition is narrow and too vague, leaving us with an inability to call to account some who intended, and who have brought, permanent harm to our nation that might be described as ‘treasonous.’

It may well be too early to talk of treasonous actions, but it is not too early to use the term “treachery” in talking about the planners, sponsors, and participants in this horrendous domestic terrorist attack upon our  seat of government.

The New World dictionary defines Treachery and Treacherous by use of such words as: “betrayal of trust or allegiance; disloyalty and unfaithfulness in regard to one’s country…’”  And then  points to other words that might carry relevant meanings such as ‘Traitor’ -- defined as:  “a person who betrays his country, cause, friends, etc.” mentioning ‘faithlessness’ and ‘disloyalty’ as likely synonyms.

ONE particular word definition remains useful in this context, and that is ‘Insurrection’ -- “a rising up against established authority; rebellion.”  While such action might be appropriately used against abusive or oppressive government (as in our own American history), such action demands and requires that adequate proof/evidence of its necessity be presented to its citizens and to the world (as in our own Declaration of Independence). 

It is not acceptable  to institute rebellion against one’s government based on lies, misinformation, made-up conspiracy narratives, or especially on one person/leader’s narcissistic words or directions that are nothing more than results of personality disorders.  If the participants in such rebellion are involved to satisfy the                                     overwhelming need of one man to escape the self-imposed indignity or stigma of being a ‘loser,’ then the term ‘insurrectionists’ must give way to the more accurate terms of ‘treasonous traitors’ for they have acted to harm their fellow-citizens and their legitimate government, and, in fact, to OVERTHROW the legitimately certified election of a new government on the lone basis of a lie.

That is why the work of the Justice Department and of the Congressional Special Committee on the Jan. 6^th action is so important.  We must know all the facts in order to decide whether or not the punishment fits the crime; whether or not there is a broad conspiracy afoot to takeover or to destroy our form of government; whether or not there needs to be legislation that addresses the situation; whether or not voting rights will be protected, democracy affirmed, and accountability assured; and whether or not conspirators should be barred from holding public office.  WE NEED ANSWERS and no excuses or whitewashing of this incident will ever be acceptable. 

Each citizen and every voter have the awesome responsibility to make a decisive choice between dictatorship of violent extremism or the continued pursuit of truly representative democracy.  It is the one issue we must face in upcoming elections for nothing else matters – do I vote for dictatorship or democracy?            

From  many of the discussions of the one-year anniversary of the attack upon the Capitol, its occupants and its protectors, we heard many things that should not be forgotten, like the following primary causes of this terrorist brand of political dissent.

§  Conspiratorial planning – we have pretty good evidence already that this was not a spur-of-the-moment idea or event.  Planning went into it, and members of the White House and the Congress were undoubtedly part of that planning

§  This may have been only a practice for a much larger coup d’état still to come in 2022 and 2024

§  Fundamental to this happening in the first place are at least these factors:

o   Donald Trump’s inability to accept defeat on any level because he was ingrained with his ‘father’s principle’ that defeat is a sign of weakness, unbecoming in a ‘real man,’ a real estate developer or in a leader of men.

o   A continuous element in American politics of rebellion against government (especially liberal or ‘socialist’ government) with the added concept that the use of unethical and illegal means of achieving control from that government is not only acceptable but preferred, like lying, the use of propaganda or misinformation to lure others, the use of guns, violent threats, mayhem and intimidation to coerce adherents and to discourage opposition

o   The absolute ruse of a fraudulent election in 2020 in which various invented scenarios claim that the election was ‘stolen’ from Trump  by Democrats for Joe Biden (although more than seventy court cases never presented credible evidence to prove such cheating ever occurred)

o   That at a very fundamental level, the loss of an electoral majority of white Republicans has so frightened that cohort of voters that they have seized control of local election infrastructure (school boards, town councils, state legislatures, election boards, commissions that draw voting districts, etc.) to promulgate laws, rules and procedures that will block multi-racial minorities from exercising their sovereign right to vote

o   And equally complicit in this whole matter is a Republican Party apparatus completely controlled by Trump and his followers; a group of toadies unable to speak up or speak out against Trump along with his leading congressional sycophants who bow to his every whim (or who inspire his more bizarre and horrendous actions)    

o   But finally, are the Trump voters who continue to treat their Donald as a savior, their hope for a better future, and their answer to controlling perceived forces that are attempting to take over their lives and their livelihoods.  It is this group of Trump cult worshippers that are integral to preserving and promoting past and future insurrections.  The culture wars are real for them, and they plan to stay at war if they must to preserve their power and their control.

It must be said that it is much clearer how we got to this point than how we will get through it.  Here are some personal thoughts along with a few garnered from today’s discussions and events:     

1.     There is a top priority and that is the passage of the Voter rights bills in the Senate.  We must reform certain practices while maintaining equal access to our right to vote.  There is no place to compromise here. 

2.     Minority rule must be curtailed quickly and decisively.  The filibuster in its present form must go.  We cannot allow a few legislators to continue blocking major legislation by a procedural vote of closure. Likewise, it is time to rid the Senate of “member privilege’” which allows just one member to obstruct passage of a bill.

3.     There must be a halt to electoral college voting – it is another accommodation to the rule of an elite minority and carries with it the shame of history -- trying to rule with a white elite. It can be disabled by state laws or by constitutional amendment

4.     And that brings to the forefront the necessity of a change of attitude about representation.  In spite of the Preamble to the Constitution and several of its articles) placing the People in the driver’s seat of this government, we have clearly reversed the roles, making elected officials the primary leaders of government rather than the people, strikingly evidenced by the special privileges accorded members of Congress and the ignoring of overwhelmingly favorable polling of citizens on major issues. The majority of legislators and other elected officials see their role as one of leadership on national issues, rather than representation of constituent views and opinions on all issues.  We must work to change that, and I have suggested several methods to do so:

a.     Change and strengthen the qualifications and nomination procedures for elective office;

b.     Require every elected officer to meet regularly with one or more Advisory groups of ordinary citizens to solicit input on major issues and to arrange at least an annual evaluation of that representative’s performance

c.     Involve ordinary citizens in advisory, people advocacy, and evaluative roles in every Inspector General’s office

d.     Establish local oversight commissions of ordinary citizens to evaluate and recommend policing and judicial techniques and practices in every appropriate authority

Finally, it is of prime importance that accountability for miscreant and immoral behavior be addressed as soon as it occurs.  We must not delay justice for “leaders” anymore than allowed for ordinary felons.  The DOJ rules protecting a president from arrest and trial while in office must be abandoned.  Likewise, the constitutional privilege for congresspeople to escape arrest or questioning  while in session is absurd and must be eliminated as well. It is exactly this sort of privilege that leads us astray from equal justice before the Law.  Officials should bear the same burden of accountability that applies to ordinary citizens.

If we are going to come through this dark time in our history, we must address fundamental changes and stop talking about “doing something.”  And above all, refrain from wanting to return to normalcy or to ‘build back better.’  Neither is adequate to the problems and threats being presented.  We have no choice but to go ABOVE and BEYOND where we have been before to build new approaches and to sculpt more creative solutions to long-standing issues and problems.

January 6, 2021, is a tragedy, a day of infamy, a failure and a threat; as well as a challenge, an opportunity and an opened road leading in a new direction. We must not fail to make the choice it places before us: to build or to destroy a proactive democracy dedicated to the well-being and fulfillment of its People’s hopes and dreams.  Every voter faces that one critical choice in 2022 and in 2024.