I saw it coming and so I am baffled as to how law enforcement did not realize (or willfully ignored) that Trump supporters were going to storm the Capitol. Thank God many more people were not killed or injured and I’m sad for the Capitol policeman who lost his life. I have compassion for the families of the other four who died, but not for those insurrectionists. They made their choice, albeit after being radicalized because of their own character flaws that made them receptive to Trump and right wing conspiracies. I hope every one of the insurrectionists are arrested and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Yes, I am pissed off. But I am also frustrated and sad. However, I recognize that my strong emotions must be a catalyst to pushing for systemic changes in our government and laws.
For starters, the House needs to impeach and the Senate eventually needs to convict Trump of the crime of inciting the insurrection against our government. Doing this even after he has left office ensures that he can never run again for public office. This needs to happen! I think Biden is smart to stay completely out of this decision and to concentrate on his responsibilities as president. I’m hopeful that the Senate will first confirm the Biden cabinet and then take up the impeachment hearings. By then, Trump people will have cooled down a bit and perhaps some Republicans will have the good sense and courage to objectively do what is right.
Second, I think Congress needs to pass laws limiting the pardon rights of the presidency. Pardoning friends and family who break the law in duty to the president should be illegal. And of course, self-pardon should never be a thing. I doubt the framers of the Constitution even thought these two situations were even in the realm of possibility when they wrote the pardon provisions.
Third, I think regulations need to be put in place for social media. It isn’t right nor fair to leave it to these young men and women to decide whose speech should be magnified and whose should be silenced. I’m glad they finally decided to suspend or band Trump from their platforms, but the damage of the last five years has already come to fruition. Further damage is possible, so I’m glad they finally acted. However, moving forward, Congress needs to place parameters on what can be spread on social media. Promotion of violence, insurrection, and dangerous rhetoric to public health should be illegal.
Forth, Congress needs to step in and regulate the news media, making it illegal to knowingly pollute the airways with stories blatant lies, with stories that are not based in facts nor backed by actual evidence. We need to bring journalism back! The law should require a warning ahead of opinion shows that clearly states that the views presented are not necessarily based in fact nor evidence and only represent the views of the person(s) presenting. News media should be required by law to publicly and quickly correct the record on their platform when they get facts wrong. Although these are ethical principles of good journalism, they need to become actual law. We have experienced the results of misinformation coming from what should be reliable sources. When trust is gone, democracy is imperiled.
And finally, Congress and the Senate need to deal with the members in their respective chambers who have been spreading misinformation in support of their own political ambitions and contrary to the service of the Constitution and the people of the country. At the very least they should be censured and the worst among them should be expelled. It is time to clean house. Those who have not lived up to their oath of office have no business in Congress nor the Senate. The Ethics committees should take up this situation and come down hard.
What the Trump administration has taught us is that our democracy is fragile and needs actual laws, not just the reliance on decency and norms, to ensure that it can endure. I hope you’ll join me in making these suggestions to lawmakers. And now that we have the majority in the House and Senate, maybe we can get these things accomplished.