I often try to see big issues from the lens of my own work or experiences in life. For example, I attempted to see Trump's abuse of power from the perspective of a teacher. Here's how I saw it. A teacher is on the playground with the children. The children complain that the principal's rules about not playing in the woods with sticks are unfair. The teacher tells the children to fight. Then she watches the children murder the principal on the playground with sticks and does nothing to stop it--she lets the violence happen. Clearly, that teacher is guilty--not only did she incite violence, but she sat back and watched the principal lose her life without acting to stop it. Trump acted like this, but unlike the teacher, he also staged the violence by spreading misinformation and demonizing a fair and free election as well as many elected officials for weeks to rile up the crowd, then he gathered his angry, loyal fans on the day of the electoral vote confirmation, told them time and again to fight, and then watched them injure, murder, and terrorize Americans. He watched them loot and vandalize the Capitol. He watched them obstruct justice by halting the confirmation vote. And, he did nothing for hours--he let his loyal followers do his dirty work by killing Americans, injuring Americans, terrorizing Americans, and vandalizing, looting, and obstructing justice. He's clearly guilty. Donald Trump chose to incite and support lawless violence rather than a lawful, peaceful transfer of power. He abused his power. He even put his loyal followers in harm's way leading to the death of some. It is right to convict Trump, and this is clearly detailed in the case to convict Trump.
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| Trump took an oath to protect, preserve, and defend the U.S. Constitution. From reading the Constitution's preamble above, you can easily see that he acted against his oath of office and abused his power. |
Think of your own world--imagine a situation or choice similar to the situation and choice Trump faced when he lost the election. Trump was clearly unhappy that he lost the election. He clearly wanted to prove a free and fair election wrong. His legal attempts to do that proved that he was wrong and that the election was free and fair. So, rather than accepting the loss and working for a peaceful transfer of power, he chose violence instead.
When have you been disatisfied by a decision or outcome? How did you legally act? What choices did you make? Did you, like Trump, choose to stage/incite actions that killed, injured, terrorized, vandalized, looted, or obstructed justice? Probably not. And, if you know people who made lawless choices, you have probably witnessed the prosecution and convictions they faced. Trump had lots and lots of power--he used it to kill, injure, terrorize Americans, loot and vandalize, and obstruct justice. Rather than stay true to his oath of office to protect, preserve, and defend the United States Constitution which works to protect Americans and help them to have good lives, he incited violence that killed Americans. That's wrong, and the only right decision is to hold Trump accountable by convicting him of high crimes and misdemeanors. Anyone that continues to support such a criminal, demonstrates their own complicity to these lawless, deadly acts.
In our own lives, we will face harsh circumstances from time to time. We will be angered, frustrated, and hurt. And we will be met with a choice as to how to act in the face of these circumstances. We know that it is right to act against oppression like this with non-violent advocacy and legal means to make change--we know that it is not right to incite or stage lawless violence. When we see Trump's action from our own worlds, it is clear that he is responsibile for the violent insurrection, and he should be convicted. It is also clear that he did not act alone and there needs to be a full investigation of the violent insurrection that leads to the prosecution of all involved as well as suggestions about how we can protect our democracy from such acts of lawless violence and obstruction of justice in the days ahead.