This was an amazing summary. If ONLY there had been decisive leadership and action to have held Trump accountable, he wouldn’t be president today. With that said, your recommendations going forward are critical for each of us to take action. Thank you. Well written and very compelling advice as we moved bro this year.
Again I believe that many of us were paying attention and knew what was going to happen, but then so many were apathetic and didn’t care. When I try to speak about this with people their response is, I don’t want to hear about it, it’s too depressing. The fact is that I view much of the population as self centered and unaware of the harm that awaits them. In that case, let the fates take their course. This country always was arrogant. As Beau would say, just a thought.
Democratic Party leadership failed Americans on five successive anniversaries of the January 6th attempted pusch. But now they want to rattle their sabers.
I sent you two messages a little while ago re: Feuer and Barry"s article this morning in today"s print edition of the New York Time about Jan 6ers. I hope you will read them and take action. Susan Cohen (scohen2 ?).
Five years later and somehow the lesson was “what if we just… didn’t do consequences.” January 6 wasn’t a mystery or a gray area. It was a test run that got graded on a curve. When accountability moves slower than a Senate hearing and extremists move at Wi-Fi speed, this is the outcome. Turns out ignoring a fire doesn’t make it go out. It just gives it time to spread.
This is the first I've been aware of Rep. Mary Miller. What a wacko!
You were & are completely right about January 6th & who is culpable for it & the lack of accountability since, although I would give a sigificant share of the responsibility to Judge Cannon & the US Supreme Court for the latter.
“Ossoff and Warnock ran on $2000 relief and science”
Which nobody actually got, just the beginning of a long series of disappointments from the Democrats that culminated in their second presidential trouncing by the worst candidate in human history, Donald Trump.
Let’s face it, folks - it takes real talent to not be able to convince voters you’d do a better job than the clown who bankrupted SIX casinos.
You’re right - mostly failing to deliver for their voters or keep any of their promises probably had nothing to do with it. It was all Republican cheating.
One question: if Republicans are able to cheat their way to victory with Democrats nominally in charge, why should we trust Democrats to protect us? They can’t even protect themselves, according to you.
Frankly I feel betrayed by them, & I know I'm not the only one. They had to have had a good idea how dangerous to our country & the world another Trump term would be. Besides failing to fully prosecute & sentence Trump, they failed to enforce his constitutional disqualification, which meant he was ineligible to assume government office again. There's been a total breakdown of the rule of law & negligence of the Constitution, & Democrats are partly responsible for that.
Thank you for this grim update on all you did to attempt to expose those responsible. "The idea of America is one in which justice overcomes tyranny, and it is not an idea I am ready or willing to discard." This was well stated and I admire your commitment. We have rued the lack of legal action against the rioters, the GOP and Trump. We continue to have empathy for those officers who fought so vallantly that day and have nothing but disdain for those who failed to support them.
And I'd like to add that what pains me most about J6 was not just the beating those Capitol Police officers took but the total disrespect they have been shown afterwards--to this very day. To them: many of us greatly admire your bravery and tell you we are sorry for how you've been treated, bless you.
One thing we learned... Make better decisions about who can pardon someone or commute sentences. This should never involve bribes of money or access. This can work both ways - sentences too short and sentences too punishing - the biggest problem. We have much longer sentences for crime convictions than many nations, especially in Europe, and there should be a community-based review board ( those released will be released into that community) made of citizens and professional law enforcement and include experts like mental health and medical health providers, justice advocacy groups and counselors that specialize in restorative justice, to decide on release risk and risk of harm to detainee and their family if they STAY in prison. This could reduce the 60% of people detained who have mental health conditions or medical conditions that cannot be dealt with safely in jail for non-violent criminal offenses. Presidents who sell pardons do not make our nation safer, especially when convictions are pardoned for corruption of institutions or our economy.
Thank you for this. I know I'm beginning to sound like a scratched record, but this is another article to keep in my save file!
This was an amazing summary. If ONLY there had been decisive leadership and action to have held Trump accountable, he wouldn’t be president today. With that said, your recommendations going forward are critical for each of us to take action. Thank you. Well written and very compelling advice as we moved bro this year.
On an additional note, Project 2025 is the agenda, and the people behind it are seeing it through.
Again I believe that many of us were paying attention and knew what was going to happen, but then so many were apathetic and didn’t care. When I try to speak about this with people their response is, I don’t want to hear about it, it’s too depressing. The fact is that I view much of the population as self centered and unaware of the harm that awaits them. In that case, let the fates take their course. This country always was arrogant. As Beau would say, just a thought.
Definitely- we are off the charts in addition to our negative world view
I see no one in Congress acting with urgency. It is frustrating and terrifying at the same time.
Democratic Party leadership failed Americans on five successive anniversaries of the January 6th attempted pusch. But now they want to rattle their sabers.
I sent you two messages a little while ago re: Feuer and Barry"s article this morning in today"s print edition of the New York Time about Jan 6ers. I hope you will read them and take action. Susan Cohen (scohen2 ?).
Five years later and somehow the lesson was “what if we just… didn’t do consequences.” January 6 wasn’t a mystery or a gray area. It was a test run that got graded on a curve. When accountability moves slower than a Senate hearing and extremists move at Wi-Fi speed, this is the outcome. Turns out ignoring a fire doesn’t make it go out. It just gives it time to spread.
Your essay is excellent, but is the title a rhetorical question? Of course we are worse off, in too many ways to count!
This is the first I've been aware of Rep. Mary Miller. What a wacko!
You were & are completely right about January 6th & who is culpable for it & the lack of accountability since, although I would give a sigificant share of the responsibility to Judge Cannon & the US Supreme Court for the latter.
“Ossoff and Warnock ran on $2000 relief and science”
Which nobody actually got, just the beginning of a long series of disappointments from the Democrats that culminated in their second presidential trouncing by the worst candidate in human history, Donald Trump.
Let’s face it, folks - it takes real talent to not be able to convince voters you’d do a better job than the clown who bankrupted SIX casinos.
Thanks to Republican voter suppression & purges, voting restrictions, machine & software tampering, bomb threats & terrorism, & electronic vote manipulation, & Democratic pusillanimity in failing to challenge the obviousy tainted election results.
You’re right - mostly failing to deliver for their voters or keep any of their promises probably had nothing to do with it. It was all Republican cheating.
One question: if Republicans are able to cheat their way to victory with Democrats nominally in charge, why should we trust Democrats to protect us? They can’t even protect themselves, according to you.
Frankly I feel betrayed by them, & I know I'm not the only one. They had to have had a good idea how dangerous to our country & the world another Trump term would be. Besides failing to fully prosecute & sentence Trump, they failed to enforce his constitutional disqualification, which meant he was ineligible to assume government office again. There's been a total breakdown of the rule of law & negligence of the Constitution, & Democrats are partly responsible for that.
Thank you for this grim update on all you did to attempt to expose those responsible. "The idea of America is one in which justice overcomes tyranny, and it is not an idea I am ready or willing to discard." This was well stated and I admire your commitment. We have rued the lack of legal action against the rioters, the GOP and Trump. We continue to have empathy for those officers who fought so vallantly that day and have nothing but disdain for those who failed to support them.
And I'd like to add that what pains me most about J6 was not just the beating those Capitol Police officers took but the total disrespect they have been shown afterwards--to this very day. To them: many of us greatly admire your bravery and tell you we are sorry for how you've been treated, bless you.
Thanks for mentioning them, Qasim.
Thank you, Qasim ....
One thing we learned... Make better decisions about who can pardon someone or commute sentences. This should never involve bribes of money or access. This can work both ways - sentences too short and sentences too punishing - the biggest problem. We have much longer sentences for crime convictions than many nations, especially in Europe, and there should be a community-based review board ( those released will be released into that community) made of citizens and professional law enforcement and include experts like mental health and medical health providers, justice advocacy groups and counselors that specialize in restorative justice, to decide on release risk and risk of harm to detainee and their family if they STAY in prison. This could reduce the 60% of people detained who have mental health conditions or medical conditions that cannot be dealt with safely in jail for non-violent criminal offenses. Presidents who sell pardons do not make our nation safer, especially when convictions are pardoned for corruption of institutions or our economy.