Impeachment
Day II
Mr. Trump facing the second impeachment trial as a private citizen is now permanently banned from Twitter regardless of his attempts to run again for office. While watching the impeachment proceedings live on television, it dawned on me that this is the second impeachment hearings that I am witnessing. While I support the impeachment and conviction of Mr. Trump, we have to pause and reflect on the issue of impeachment. Impeachment is a political remedy to a Constitutional problem. It is also an issue that should largely remain above politics. Many on the right will argue this is nothing more than an attempt by Democrats to go after the previous administration. I do not believe those arguments hold much validity in large part because of the overwhelming evidence that has been presented at the trial.
Those who wish to argue this is nothing more than the Democratic Party spiking the football would be intelligent to note that the Democratic Party can do away with the Senate filibuster. Democrats are hesitant to do away with the filibuster, but the party could spike the football if they did.
High crimes and misdemeanors are not defined in the constitution because the framers wanted to ensure it would be open to interpretation by members of congress. The American polity is at a fundamental point where we are as divided as ever before. I fear that impeachment will likely become just another political talking point by whichever political party holds the gavel.
Impeachment is something every citizen ought to take seriously. It is a decision the people must be willing to undertake with a certain degree of calm. It is a decision that is difficult in large part because to choose impeachment is the final political remedy.
Before he left office, Mr. Trump was impeached; he had every intention of remaining in power past his term's expiration. Mr. Trump attempted to go to court to have the election results ruled in his favor. When this failed, he decided the only remedy was to tell numerous lies about the electoral process, which ultimately led to a violent group of insurrections seeking to engage in a coup to breach the Capital. Mr. Trump should be held accountable for his actions, and the Senate must vote to convict him of the incitement of insurrection.
If the Senate fails to convict Mr. Trump, the precedent will be clear, that one can engage in a coup and get away with it so long as they currently hold power.