Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.
–Voltaire
quoted by Senator James Raskin (Maryland),
Impeachment Manager
I wrote this poem as the House Democrats’ case for Impeachment, Round Two, drew to a close.
You may recall that President Trump was impeached once before, in early 2019, for calling the President of Ukraine and threatening to withhold funding, if the President of Ukraine did not deliver evidence of Hunter Biden’s supposed misdeeds in that country. Trump intended to smear his likely rival for the Presidency, (and now the President), Hunter Biden’s father Joe Biden with that information. The Ukrainian President knew better than to cooperate. Perhaps because the arrangement was never fully brought to fruition, only attempted, the charges against Trump did not stick and he was acquitted by a Senate controlled by his own party.
This time around, like many other onlookers, I was weirdly drawn to the vulgarity-laced video of January 6th’s mayhem. It was shown chronologically, alongside the President’s provocations and responses, or lack of response. I was troubled and impressed by the participants’ strength of conviction, their seeming sincerity of purpose, however misguided.
Many of them are now in jail.
Their inspiration, meanwhile, has time to go golfing.
On January 6, the National Guard did eventually come, no thanks to the former president, and the crowd was disbursed and the building cleared. So the insurrection, as the House managers so archaically call it, was just an attempt to take over a government building, a bungled attempt. As a mere attempt, I fear it is going to go the way of the last Impeachment–no harm, no foul.
Our beloved institutions and time-honored processes were intended and constructed to work well. I believe they are sound and will likely serve us for many years to come.
It just seems that lately, they have proven no match for the determined manipulations of unscrupulous people. No match, for the self-echoing partisanship of a fifty-fifty nation.
But there is hope. It could be, that by their votes, the men (and women) of the Senate will choose to serve their country, rather than their ambition.
These sacred walls.
These hallowed halls.
This solemn, marbled chamber.
These velvet chairs.
These well-worn stairs.
And not a hint of danger.
This floor, where hate
Becomes debate,
And logjams, compromises.
This gallery
Of valor rings
The valley of the wisest.
Now once again,
Elected men
Their arguments impart,
That weaponed words,
Though most absurd,
Have torn our world apart.
They came here first
For rival’s dirt
Extracted with a truncheon.
Against the law?
Not so! Guffaw!
A minor lapse of judgment.
But now, He chose
To rend His clothes,
To claim His victory stolen.
And they, like sheep,
His lies believed,
Stampeding chambers holy.
While some stood tall,
And voted, all,
His rival to annoint,
His faulty facts
Provoked attacks
Upon the chambers joint.
They prosecute and
They salute,
With video montage,
His deeds and words,
The pleas, unheard:
Cacophonous collage.
But when they vote,
What part will dote
On, grease His fragile ego?
What circus games!
What lion taming!
Look! A crime is legal!
What fault’s to find?
Who dares opine
A slur, against this brute?
Such calumny
Could primary
Your seat! You’d get the boot!
Is this high crime?
Will He do time?
Well, this I highly doubt.
For party-line prevails.
Stop whining!
Vote the bastards out!
Copyright 2021 Andrea LeDew
For a poem about the byzantine electoral college process, read Electoral. For my poem on the events of January 6, 2021, see Great Patriots. For a tribute to a Capitol Policeman who died as a result of the incident, read The Mighty.
Great job, Andrea! I suspect the rioters were actually surprised by their own success. One thing that has become clear during the trial is just how close they came to capturing members of Congress.
Yes that is very scary how nearly they succeeded. The gallows and cries to hang Mike Pence i found especially disturbing. I wonder how many knew how far others (ie militia types)were prepared to go, and how many just went along for the ride.
It reminds me of Lord of the Flies and all those normally well-mannered boys chasing down poor Piggy.
My husband and I are thinking that he-who-shall-not-be-named will go the way of Al Capone: prison sentence for tax evasion.
Wouldn’t that be great! For one thing, it would establish the precedent that presidents aren’t above the law, after all.
A precedent for presidents! What a concept!
I remember marveling at a South African band who had a terrific song “One Man, One Vote” years ago as apartheid there crumbled. https://youtu.be/uAByV-mO48w
The idea that this concept should have ever been in dispute sent chills down my spine.
As I grew older I became more aware of disparities and techniques used to dilute the US vote and realized that it is an ongoing fight to try to live up to such a principle.
I feel the same about the concept “no man is above the law”. Many who lived thru watergate would guess that the issue was settled then. But Law is only settled until someone figures out a way to unsettle it. 😊
I hear Alcatraz is very nice this time of year. 😊