Throw in the Trump-Pence sign that stays on the north end of town by the new service road. We have free expression but it seems rather lacking in intelligence to have a campaign sign on display so long after the election. Except. . . Except that the Trump crowd is so stubborn accepting the election results. That intransigence fueled the incident at the nation's capitol Wednesday, Jen. 6. A date that will live in infamy.
We don't yet know how the current disturbance is going to play out. The speaker of the House has tried to get assurance that the president can't deploy nukes in his final days. Which would be a diversion, or what?
So, Josh Hawley put the wheels in motion for what we saw on Jan. 6. Trump was happy to oblige and grease the skids considerably further. There were plenty of partners in the endeavor.
If you feel the election was rigged or stolen, I suppose you're justified in venting some pretty serious anger. Countless lawsuits have failed in trying to demonstrate the sinister act of rigging or stealing the election. In the final analysis, it was a charge stemming from conspiracy nuts. Add a dose of emotion to that, and you have a mix leading to what we saw on Jan. 6. And there's the president addressing the troublemakers in a facilitating way.
The certification of Biden's victory was intended as a formality. VP Pence had a role, purely as formality, yes quaint to a degree. It should have barely qualified as "news." But look what happened.
Certify the Biden win? In the electoral college? Would you believe that even the likes of Tom Emmer - I repeat, Tom Emmer - who has a background seemingly consistent with ardent Trump-ites, did not support the challenge to the electoral outcome.
Do I have to repeat that? Emmer and fellow Republican Congressman Pete Stauber did not support the challenges. There are four GOPers in the state's congressional delegation. And who opted to support the challenge? Why Michelle Fischbach was one. So she's even more of a looney tunes type than Emmer. And she now represents us here in the frozen hinterlands, this at a time when the Democratic Party has crept into considerable power (fortunately for us all).
Fischbach and fellow Republican Jim Hagedorn supported the challenge to the electoral college. So these people want to federalize the election? Isn't there a danger in that? I always thought Republicans wanted decentralized power, distant from D.C. as much as possible. Except, of course, when states want to legalize marijuana.
We now live with the new reality of our congressional district, lest there was any doubt. I would not be one to suggest the Democrats have the prescription for all that ails us. Trump-ism grew out of a nagging feeling that the common people of America have been losing ground, that our lives have been growing unreasonably difficult. I do not feel the national Democratic Party represents any real turnaround from these circumstances.
And to achieve the turnaround? I hate to speculate on that. It would be borne of necessity, out of the real fact that our established order no longer works for us. What the Trump supporters may have to admit, in the end, is that the answers they seek may actually come from the political left. It won't be based on window dressing issues like gay rights. It will be based on meat and potatoes issues. We aren't there yet, because if we were we'd all sure be aware of it.
The revolt at the U.S. capitol Wednesday was really just small-time. History has examples of how uprisings can really gain steam. I am not assuming any partisan-based remedy. Oh maybe I am, because I'd like to see the new Democratic majority simply solve all our issues, as elected leaders should. I just don't think the masses of common people have the resources or influence to effect positive change. Not yet.
We all hope and pray for peaceful change. But look at human nature. Look at what happened at the U.S. capitol Wednesday. Have you ever read about Bastille Day? Do you know about the Sinclair Lewis book "It Can't Happen Here?" (Lewis' point being, it can).
The conflict of the Watergate era never reached the point of images like what we saw Wednesday. And for politicians like Fischbach to continue sending the message that the election results should not be accepted as legitimate, is dangerous, can't you see? She is a leader, should be an example-setter. She could have played her role keeping things calm, rather than to excite the pickup-driving Trump supporters.
There are pickup-driving Trump supporters who park their vehicles to block electric charging stations. You see, they hate all the tree-huggers. I have heard discussion of this on Fargo radio. I gave a heads-up to local city government about this. A friend who I see at DeToy's said to me "just have a $500 fine for that. That'll take care of it."
I hope we out here in "East Dakota" do not lose federal assets because of our emotional political stances. Yes, the Democratic Party, or as many of us would call it, "the Democrat Party," is far from having all the answers to what ails us. That's sad.
But the Democrats will put forward a public image on behalf of the U.S. that is so much more classy and responsible. For one thing, the Democrats will employ greater federal firepower vs. the pandemic, to get it finally extinguished, a tall order.
What if Republicans had won in the Georgia special election? And they well could have, if McConnell had just allowed a vote on the $2000 direct payment, what Trump actually wanted. Worse yet, what if Republicans were still in control of the House?
We are at the precipice. How can the Christian faith serve us when so much of Christianity is wrapped up in Trump and Trump-ism?
"It Can't Happen Here?" Oh, it most certainly can.
My podcast for Jan. 9
My "Morris Mojo" podcast reminds that our new year is the 150-year anniversary of the Morris community. So it's our "Sesquicentennial." Reason for celebration? I would think so. Will there be one? Probably not. Too many Morris leaders want to "go to the lake" on weekends. A theme for our town might be "we're going to be gone." But I would appreciate you visiting "Morris Mojo":
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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