We live in frightening times

(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

By JOHN KANELIS / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

My head is spinning, but my heart is, oh, filling ever-so slowly with hope for a better day.

Donald Trump is six days from exiting the nation’s most glorious, exalted and powerful public office. Joe Biden will take the oath and along with Kamala Harris will start the task of rebuilding what Trump has damaged.

Trump supporters keep yammering about the need now to “unify” the nation rather than put the impeached president on trial in the Senate. Two thoughts cross my mind on that matter.

First, unification will arrive when we hear the evidence produced for senators to consider. The entire nation should be unified in its outrage over the sight and sound of Trump fomenting the riot that damaged Capitol Hill, the Capitol Building, put our elected representatives in peril and threatened the very core of our democratic system of government.

Trump will be gone when the Senate gets down to brass tacks and starts hearing the evidence. It is there for all of us to see.

Second is my belief that the Trumpkin Corps should have called for “unity” when their man — Trump — kept telling the bald-faced lie about voter fraud in the 2020 election. Let’s be clear: The entire insurrection effort was built on a lie that came from Donald Trump’s mouth. For his frothing, fervent and fanatical followers to say now it is time for unity is to pretend that the Big Lie doesn’t exist.

I am saddened to realize that the Big Lie will live far beyond Trump’s time in the public spotlight. That’s how conspiracy theories exist in the first place. Those who adhere to the Big Lie will continue to gin up anger where they can find it. Their success in producing more violence, such as what we saw this past week, will depend on whether enough of us call them out for what they are: lying cowards. 

I will continue to believe that this anger will subside eventually, which of course could mean anything you want it to mean. It might tamp down soon, in the medium term or it might take years or — God forbid! — decades to vanish.

Donald Trump’s post-election behavior, culminating in the riot and the impeachment, has cemented his place in history. Whether he survives another Senate trial is moot. He will be forever scorned as a failed president who sought to destroy the very government he took an oath to protect.

That is some legacy. Don’t you think?

9 thoughts on “We live in frightening times”

  1. Amen.

    A time to heal- time for reconciliation- grace and kindness.

    All sorely lacking- but it can start with each of us.

    As Dostoevsky once wrote- ” Beauty will save the world.”

  2. If you listened to the FBI and the actual phrasing of the articles, there is no crime. It’s hard to incite, when things are preplanned. Ive listens to that speech a few times since the 6th. Although I don’t think he should have even spoken, I didn’t hear words of actual violence. In fact, he used the word peaceful several times when mentioning the Capital. In this speech, there was less violent talk than what came from Pelosi, Schumer, Waters, AOC, and several other Democrats this last summer.

    Do I think he should leave office, yes! At this point, him staying would only lead to more division. The left wouldn’t as top being focused on him instead of what needs to be done for the country. The other side of that, this impeachment is going to add to the division as well. It’s showing the Democrats don’t care about unity, but are still fixated on Trump. He’s still in their heads. He gives them so one to blame.

    Oh well, it’s done. We’ll see what, if any, repercussions take place. I pray we can move forward. I think we could if there were some much stronger than Biden taking office.

  3. That migrant van is heading this way to prove your Biden is the real fraud.

    You call from unity when all you did during Trump’s presidency is bash him. This very post shows you don’t care for unity between parties. You continue to point fingers and call the other side names.

    Voter Fraud was and is a very real thing but you only like evidence when it’s in favor for you. For example, the House change to using gender neutral terms but science has proved two genders.

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