07/27/2022

Today’s blog

Lynn Murphy Mark

Justice served?

Last night I was in the living room attending the church of major league baseball. The Blue Jays were having their way with us. It was a dreadful game. Oh well, you can’t win them all. I left “church” and remoted my way down the channels to MSNBC.

Lawrence O’Donnell was on. I like listening to him because he is calm, cool, and collected as he reports the day’s happenings. Only last night his tone caught me – he was speaking passionately about some “breaking news”. There was a clip of Merrick Garland speaking earnestly to Lester Holt. I had missed most of the clip but I got the gist: the Department of Justice is and has been investigating 45’s role in the January 6 attack on our Democracy. 

Apparently, Merrick Garland is not going to be put off by the prospect of investigating a former POTUS. The only other time this has happened is when Nixon had Watergate to account for. By the time the DoJ got to Nixon’s level, though, he had been pardoned. No real consequences came forth other than the shame of that whole debacle in the first place. “I am not a crook!”, indeed…

Several years ago I read Mary Trump’s book about the psychology of her uncle. It was a fascinating read, even though I was repulsed as I read about his behavior over the years. He did not change when he got to “the dump”, as he called the White House. The swamp got deeper and dirtier and there were seemingly no consequences for his lies and his actions. I wonder how many people had to tell him, “We can’t do that. It’s not legal.”?

The prospect of 45 running for 47 gives me the chills and the creeps. He represents all the reprehensible qualities of a white supremacist, the offensiveness of a misogynist, the disturbing behaviors of a serial lier. My opinion, of course. But I find the prospect of a DoJ investigation into his motives leading up to and including January 6 comforting. It helps me believe that we live in a country where justice is really blind and no one is above the law. 

It was a really big news night. Wanting to respect the other side I jumped to Fox. The talking head there was laughing about Joe Biden’s approval rating, saying he is the first President to have such a low rating. I think that actually might be true – for once Fox is reporting actual facts. Not a word was said about an investigation into 45’s role in the January 6 riot. No surprise there. I don’t think they aired any of the recent hearings from the committee.

I went back to planet Earth to listen to legal scholars who were all confirming that 45 might be in actual trouble. But in my brain is that tiny thought that 45 will slide through this as well. If he is indicted, I wonder what his “people” will do – the Oath Keepers, the Proud Boys, the 3 Percenters, the MAGA contingent, the KKK, all seem ready to take up arms in his defense. I know this has been asked many times, but how did a failed reality TV personality rise up to such a status among, I presume, ordinary Americans? And, who are these ordinary Americans anyway?  They are people who believe conspiracy theories, who admire 45’s rhetoric, who believe our country should be returned to white people, who scoff at Jews and Muslims, who want to own weapons of war and use them on their fellow citizens. It’s terrifying, really .But last night I got a glimmer of hope that justice might be served in the near future. I’m going to pay close attention. By the way – please vote in your primaries, and in November. There’s a lot riding on this election