Will Accountability Ever Come?

While it was certainly important that the impeachment trial end in a conviction, it was unlikely to end that way because the minds of 43 of the 'so-called' jurors were already made up.  But there is a larger end result which in the long run may be a better payoff.  The story crafted by the House prosecution team is the first complete and thorough analysis of what really happened on January 6th and why.  And no one can deny it is a 'shocker'.  Over time the gravity and weight of what happened will seep into the conscience of Americans.

 That story unfolded in front of the eyes of Congress, all of America and the world.  It is not possible to ignore or sugar coat that story.  As a video producer, my stock and trade is telling stories using exactly the media that the House team used in crafting their narrative.  This was a superb telling, complete with context, both temporal and physical.  Because it was so thoroughly crafted to include all the simultaneously occurring parts, it provides us with as complete a picture of the overall progression of events as is possible at this point in time.  Elements will be added over the coming months as new evidence is revealed and as investigations continue into the financing and planning of the attack, but for our country, the story has been shocking in its detail and impact.  It is impossible not to see the conspiracy, the pre-production work, the execution and projected result.  To paraphrase one of the Capitol police, who sat crying with his friend in the Rotunda after the rioters had been turned out,  "WTF man, is this America?"

 If you take just the two days of Senate presentation and package it as a 9-hour video series, it can be used in America's schools in revitalized civics courses as a primer on Democracy and how to maintain or lose it....it should be required study for all high school students. 

 

Another result is that there can be no doubt now as to the allegiance of those in the Congress who voted to acquit.  We can all witness the choice they have made.  We can see those whose allegiance is to democracy, the rule of law and the survival of our republic, and those who value only acquisition of power through any means including violence.  The question becomes clear:  Which America do we want?  "Those 43 senators, and all the rest in the House in the Republican party made a choice for all to see.  Cowed by Trump’s zealous base, they cravenly chose power and privilege over responsibility and principle.  These senators should be held accountable. Citizens who care about the future of this republic should come together, across lines of party and ideology, to vote out of office those who failed in their most important responsibility," said Katrina vanden Heuvel in the New York Times today.

 

What comes next?---no one really knows, but there are hints.

 

With the appearance of an investigation on the part of the Fulton County District Attorney in Georgia, there is a new resolute movement being born.  Since the dawning of realization about how close we came to a coup d'etat, there is new momentum to using the real tools of actual justice to begin to bring accountability.  Once Merrick Garland is confirmed as Attorney General, we hopefully will see a renewed interest in bringing criminal charges against those who incited insurrection in violation of federal statutes.  The US Attorney's Washington,DC office is investigating bringing local felony charges for incitement of violence against Trump or others....same thing for the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio with regard to some of the rioters.  A 'real' jury of unbiased jurors will attempt to return verdicts based on the actual facts and then send these people to prison.

 However Rep. Jamie Raskin was right:  without a definitive verdict in this trial and prohibition against holding any office in the future, the country is still at risk from Trump and his minions.  What happens if he runs again....and loses?  Will we see a repeat of the insurrection, only better organized and more violent?

 

What is clear beyond any doubt is that those in the Senate who voted to acquit, sanction violence as the answer to disagreement with the result of elections.  They reject the Constitution, continue to support the Big Lie that the election was fraudulent and are just fine ignoring the rule of law.  History will record their names and serve them a separate legacy and ignominy.

 

As to the future of the Republican Party?  My own sense is that it is irretrievably broken.  Trumpists will seek power again, but their members are hollow without souls.  Their legions are smaller and winning elections will be much harder.  And, of course, the country at large now sees their actions for what they really were.  The portion of the current Republican Party who still have souls will try to reconstitute somehow, but it may be too late to find redemption for their inaction and incompetence.  Even now there has been a large exodus of registered Republicans from the voting rolls nationwide.  Awareness has dawned for them.

 

I think awareness has dawned for all of us.  Let's hope that awareness leads to new resolve to protect our fragile democracy.