I’ve had several things I want to write about “in process” - either thinking about them or putting them on the page and trying to make them make sense. But I keep thinking these past few days about what I am going to be doing at 5pm tonight, and how we got there. 5pm Pacific Time - 8pm Washington time; the moment the House Special Committee to Investigate the Events of the January 6 Attack on the Capitol (the official name) is called into session and we all begin (hopefully) to learn the most important - and worst! - “unknown history” in the history of this country.
Well written, TC. I will also be tuning in to the hearings. Later for me, 8pm. How have we never learned “don’t pardon a political criminal”? I’ve been keeping busy, of late. Thurs and Fri I watch my baby grands. On my way here this morning, my niece called me, in tears. This is the niece with a genetic blood disorder who can’t get vaccinated and saved her parents lives this winter when they contracted Covid. Taking them to get monoclonal antibodies treatments, etc. Pregnancy is also dangerous for her, but she has two young sons. The oldest is celebrating his 5th birthday this weekend. Here’s where crazytown starts. My sisters, one of them her mother, are leaving for Colorado tomorrow because JFK Jr is going to “reveal” himself after which we will have 10 days of darkness, so no need to worry about the birthday party for her 5 year old grandson. My heart is breaking for my niece.
I want to see jail sentences handed down. I don’t want any of these traitors on a ballot. I don’t want to ever hear any one is considering a “pardon”.
Anyway … after my two days with my grandkids, I’m going to try to lift up my niece and do whatever I can to help her celebrate her son’s birthday and ease her sadness over her absent mother. I don’t care how we got here anymore, really. It needs to be over. Ended starkly and harshly … and, yes. I know I speak with prejudice. I have had enough.
Amazing story Carla, reminding me once again that Family is the gift that keeps on *living*!! You and your niece will get through it, and maybe your sisters will be humiliated enough be what doesn't happen during their trip, that they'll re-think things. But don't expect it or count on it.
Well you really primed the pump with that one TC, I have believed all along that it really does come down to, "do you believe in democracy?". Like many of us I too have lost someone I was once close to, I have argued until I'm blue in the face, I argued like the Jesuits taught me to do, starting with what was knowable and true and building every point from there, I got nowhere, I finally told him that "you are either going to do everything in your power to defeat the insipid imbecile or you are with him", we haven't spoken since, over a year now. He is my father's brother's son and we were good friends, very good friends, but this question about whether you believe in democracy can have only one answer, I got the wrong one, not in those words but in deeds, deal breaker! Like you I have moved on, there's much to be done in this fight for our democracy, we need all hands on deck in this mortal battle, it's going to take all of our strength and the outcome is way less than certain, if we go down fighting, so be it, at least we'll do it with honor. Thanks for the clarity.
a few months ago, I had a very old friend stop communicating with me because I half-kiddingly told him to "lay off AOC," who's my congressperson. this was after he told me that she was a rabid, deadly jew-hater. this is the same guy who told me that if I fired an AR-15 ONCE, I'd be hooked on the power it gave me for the rest of my life (as if I needed another addiction to overcome!). so I suppose he might have done me a favor. I have a great-niece whose retired cop father has a confederate flag in his garage and she's following her dad, whose craziness embraces every whacko meme, trope and whatever else is out there. so I have a sense of what you're going through.
The first televised hearing has just ended, and I think I am somewhat encouraged. Chairman Thompson and Vice-chair Cheney kept things moving right along, and presented the high level summary of what's to come in a no-nonsense and understandable manner. They didn't mince words either. Trump is guilty of doing bad stuff, no doubt about it. He has committed crimes. Maybe he'll get some payback. I certainly hope so. Once these televised hearings are done, maybe he'll get to experience some activity by DOJ.
Of all the good sentences here, this one struck me most powerfully and most hopefully. Thank you!! Let's hope we are all horrified enough to ally!
"What we’re about to learn starting tonight will hopefully convince all of us who watch and are horrified, that the fact we are horrified is the Good Reason to ally regardless of anything else."
( I also see on the news that there are radio waves being picked up from distant galaxies! Maybe they are coming to save us!!!!)
I just finished the hearing this evening, it was deeply moving to say the least, I really liked Liz’s statement to Republicans, “there will come a day when DT is gone but your dishonor will remain”, she has to be the clown’s worst nightmare 👍. Overall I was very impressed, the video was like a gut punch, the chair really did need to call for a recess as soon as it was finished 👍, I think everybody needed to catch their breaths, I know I did. I know it’s only round one in the fight for our democracy, but our team landed some very serious blows and promises to have more of them. 👍👍
Yeah, watching that long video of the insurrection was tough, and the testimony the second half, particularly officer Elliot (sp?) was devastating. "I'm not trained for combat"
another brilliant one, Tom. it actually moved my own internal needle a bit, which I didn't think was possible. for example, I've been spending the last six or so years refusing to get into any kind of metaphorical bed with any of the neocons who started showing up on MSNBC and CNN to trash TFF. based on your argument here, I see that I was almost certainly (how's that for qualifying a direct statement...? I didn't spend years in graduate school for nothing...I can now qualify a statement enough so that it isn't a statement, but that's another story) being too much of hardass; if those guys accept the basic givens of our system, whatever its abundant flaws, then I'm obviously on THEIR side. the other option is...well, realistically speaking just for myself...something I find myself unable to think about once I get to the other side winning in 2024, even if it's not TFF. honestly, I just can't go there.
I will not listen to the proceedings tonight as I was there by video as were all of us. I will read the main stream media in the morning and see if they get it right. Incredible there is anyone who does not know the details.
I had the same feeling, but then decided to see if Jamie Raskin would disappoint me when he said they were bringing stuff we hadn't seen and would "blow the lid off." They certainly got the fire under the pot up to the point the lid is bouncing from the heat, and I think they're going to deliver. They're certainly building a better case against Fatso del Mar A Lardo than was in the second impeachment, and I thought that was strong.
I dunno, Frank...they do keep promising new stuff and new connections we were not aware of on The Day. so I'll watch instead of the usual old movie on Criterion....
The only thing I can say with certainty to my kids when they ask me if they should worry for our country’s future is, I don’t know. I truly do NOT know if our democracy will survive.
It only will if people who are not paying attention now, start and vote this November.
I also tell them to keep their passports handy if we need to flee.
I like that you wrote this BEFORE the hearing! You must be the only author of a substack to have done so. I look forward to your AFTERWARD thoughts as well. As for me, I was riveted and horrified all over again last night.
Well written, TC. I will also be tuning in to the hearings. Later for me, 8pm. How have we never learned “don’t pardon a political criminal”? I’ve been keeping busy, of late. Thurs and Fri I watch my baby grands. On my way here this morning, my niece called me, in tears. This is the niece with a genetic blood disorder who can’t get vaccinated and saved her parents lives this winter when they contracted Covid. Taking them to get monoclonal antibodies treatments, etc. Pregnancy is also dangerous for her, but she has two young sons. The oldest is celebrating his 5th birthday this weekend. Here’s where crazytown starts. My sisters, one of them her mother, are leaving for Colorado tomorrow because JFK Jr is going to “reveal” himself after which we will have 10 days of darkness, so no need to worry about the birthday party for her 5 year old grandson. My heart is breaking for my niece.
I want to see jail sentences handed down. I don’t want any of these traitors on a ballot. I don’t want to ever hear any one is considering a “pardon”.
Anyway … after my two days with my grandkids, I’m going to try to lift up my niece and do whatever I can to help her celebrate her son’s birthday and ease her sadness over her absent mother. I don’t care how we got here anymore, really. It needs to be over. Ended starkly and harshly … and, yes. I know I speak with prejudice. I have had enough.
Amazing story Carla, reminding me once again that Family is the gift that keeps on *living*!! You and your niece will get through it, and maybe your sisters will be humiliated enough be what doesn't happen during their trip, that they'll re-think things. But don't expect it or count on it.
No. They won’t. They also made the trip to Dallas. They are all in.
This was one helluva letter, TC. I will be thinking of all of us tonight.
I believe, I believe, I believe, …
We need to work hard to get democracy to glow again, like Tinkerbell’s fairy light.
Try Beetlejuice.
Yes! 🙋🏻🙋🏼🙋🏽🙋🏾🙋🏿I believe in democracy.
UNITA, Love,Light🗽
Well you really primed the pump with that one TC, I have believed all along that it really does come down to, "do you believe in democracy?". Like many of us I too have lost someone I was once close to, I have argued until I'm blue in the face, I argued like the Jesuits taught me to do, starting with what was knowable and true and building every point from there, I got nowhere, I finally told him that "you are either going to do everything in your power to defeat the insipid imbecile or you are with him", we haven't spoken since, over a year now. He is my father's brother's son and we were good friends, very good friends, but this question about whether you believe in democracy can have only one answer, I got the wrong one, not in those words but in deeds, deal breaker! Like you I have moved on, there's much to be done in this fight for our democracy, we need all hands on deck in this mortal battle, it's going to take all of our strength and the outcome is way less than certain, if we go down fighting, so be it, at least we'll do it with honor. Thanks for the clarity.
a few months ago, I had a very old friend stop communicating with me because I half-kiddingly told him to "lay off AOC," who's my congressperson. this was after he told me that she was a rabid, deadly jew-hater. this is the same guy who told me that if I fired an AR-15 ONCE, I'd be hooked on the power it gave me for the rest of my life (as if I needed another addiction to overcome!). so I suppose he might have done me a favor. I have a great-niece whose retired cop father has a confederate flag in his garage and she's following her dad, whose craziness embraces every whacko meme, trope and whatever else is out there. so I have a sense of what you're going through.
The first televised hearing has just ended, and I think I am somewhat encouraged. Chairman Thompson and Vice-chair Cheney kept things moving right along, and presented the high level summary of what's to come in a no-nonsense and understandable manner. They didn't mince words either. Trump is guilty of doing bad stuff, no doubt about it. He has committed crimes. Maybe he'll get some payback. I certainly hope so. Once these televised hearings are done, maybe he'll get to experience some activity by DOJ.
Yeah, I was very impressed by the evening. I was most impressed by Liz Cheney; she really is relentless.
Well, she is a Cheney, so….
This may be the best piece of yours I've read. Thanks, I'm off to share it as widely as I can.
Thank you, TC. I will be there Tonight watching the hearings. Your words express so clearly how I feel as well.
Of all the good sentences here, this one struck me most powerfully and most hopefully. Thank you!! Let's hope we are all horrified enough to ally!
"What we’re about to learn starting tonight will hopefully convince all of us who watch and are horrified, that the fact we are horrified is the Good Reason to ally regardless of anything else."
( I also see on the news that there are radio waves being picked up from distant galaxies! Maybe they are coming to save us!!!!)
Those are the Guardian Angels.
I just finished the hearing this evening, it was deeply moving to say the least, I really liked Liz’s statement to Republicans, “there will come a day when DT is gone but your dishonor will remain”, she has to be the clown’s worst nightmare 👍. Overall I was very impressed, the video was like a gut punch, the chair really did need to call for a recess as soon as it was finished 👍, I think everybody needed to catch their breaths, I know I did. I know it’s only round one in the fight for our democracy, but our team landed some very serious blows and promises to have more of them. 👍👍
Yeah, watching that long video of the insurrection was tough, and the testimony the second half, particularly officer Elliot (sp?) was devastating. "I'm not trained for combat"
Capitol Police officer Caroline Edwards
Thank you Fern.
Echoing Nazi Nuremberg defendant Hans Frank: “ A thousand years will pass and the guilt of Germany will not be erased.”
great job, TC - thank you!
another brilliant one, Tom. it actually moved my own internal needle a bit, which I didn't think was possible. for example, I've been spending the last six or so years refusing to get into any kind of metaphorical bed with any of the neocons who started showing up on MSNBC and CNN to trash TFF. based on your argument here, I see that I was almost certainly (how's that for qualifying a direct statement...? I didn't spend years in graduate school for nothing...I can now qualify a statement enough so that it isn't a statement, but that's another story) being too much of hardass; if those guys accept the basic givens of our system, whatever its abundant flaws, then I'm obviously on THEIR side. the other option is...well, realistically speaking just for myself...something I find myself unable to think about once I get to the other side winning in 2024, even if it's not TFF. honestly, I just can't go there.
I will not listen to the proceedings tonight as I was there by video as were all of us. I will read the main stream media in the morning and see if they get it right. Incredible there is anyone who does not know the details.
I had the same feeling, but then decided to see if Jamie Raskin would disappoint me when he said they were bringing stuff we hadn't seen and would "blow the lid off." They certainly got the fire under the pot up to the point the lid is bouncing from the heat, and I think they're going to deliver. They're certainly building a better case against Fatso del Mar A Lardo than was in the second impeachment, and I thought that was strong.
I dunno, Frank...they do keep promising new stuff and new connections we were not aware of on The Day. so I'll watch instead of the usual old movie on Criterion....
The only thing I can say with certainty to my kids when they ask me if they should worry for our country’s future is, I don’t know. I truly do NOT know if our democracy will survive.
It only will if people who are not paying attention now, start and vote this November.
I also tell them to keep their passports handy if we need to flee.
I do not say this lightly.
Thank you for the great writing, TC.
I like that you wrote this BEFORE the hearing! You must be the only author of a substack to have done so. I look forward to your AFTERWARD thoughts as well. As for me, I was riveted and horrified all over again last night.
An excellent summation of the patient's current malady and most probable prognosis.