[ad_1]
Tomorrow is January 6th, an infamous turning point in American history, along with December 7th and September 11th. Just as the days of old reminded us of our enemies outside, so January 6th reminded us that we also have enemies within us. But unlike other infamous dates that later saw America undergo a period of political unity, January 6 only further divided us. Shortly after, Republican politicians yelled out what the riots had been about that day, but quickly changed their tune due to political concerns.
In justifying this change of heart, some Republicans compare the Jan. 6 uprising to the Black Lives Matter protests. I think it has some plausibility because the riots that followed some of his BLM protests resulted in casualties and extensive damage to the city. But the BLM protests were mostly decentralized movements, sometimes deadly and destructive. And most of all, it was an attempt to draw attention to the problem of prejudice in the police, which we can all see for ourselves thanks to camera phones. showed that the riots were motivated by accusations that were proven false and are now called the Great Lies. It was a systematic attempt to overthrow the democratically elected government.
Sadly, that commission also showed that it was our leaders who had spearheaded the effort. It should be a day to reflect on what dereliction of duty by those whose job it is to check can have consequences. and the importance of adhering to standards and norms.
The Jan. 6 riots also demonstrate the flaws in the US Constitution’s impeachment clause.If there was ever a clear case of impeachment, a president’s serious crimes and misdemeanors, it would be Donald Trump’s involvement in the actions that led to the agitation and insurrection. He was impeached in a bipartisan vote by the U.S. House of Representatives, but the Senate voted a second time to allow for his wrongdoing.
Trump’s two impeachments show the weakness of our constitutional system. As described in the excellent book, “UncheckedBoth attempts to remove him failed due to politics and the pursuit of power by both parties, not for lack of evidence or grounds of impeachment. Either obstructed the impeachment team for fear of turning the swing voters they were giving against her party, or refused to provide the ethical leadership Mitch McConnell needed to vote against members of his party. Did they? Their own party and political considerations prevailed in securing our nation’s future. One of the consequences of the Republican strategy of impeaching a president after he loses an election is that he is very skeptical that any president-elect’s actions taken after losing the election and before the next president’s inauguration have impunity. A dangerous precedent. .
This also shows that the US Constitution’s impeachment clause is effectively a toothless paper tiger when it comes to being able to remove a president from office. Trump has been a symbol of impeachment for pressuring foreign powers, inciting riots and supporting insurgents to aid his re-election efforts. It is frightening to think what would be needed if Congress could not find the political will to impeach blatantly dangerous acts by public officials. Thankfully, the January 6th Commission did a great job of clarifying the event. That led to that particular infamous day. It’s up to the Justice Department to take the baton and bring criminal charges against the former president. In doing so, the removal of a president from office by impeachment is hostage to the political climate and is basically unattainable, while it can be taken to prosecute government officials who committed such egregious actions. It sets a new precedent that there are other means.
Tony Jones’ column “Everything in Moderation” is published every other Thursday on the Summit Daily News. Jones is a veteran of the IT industry and has worked in the public and private sectors. He lives part-time in Summit County and Denver. Please contact eimsummit@gmail.com.
[ad_2]
Source link
