The verdict on Republicans? Guilty as charged, on all counts

It has sold its heart and soul to gain power and control.

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When I say guilty as charged, I don’t mean Republicans are guilty because they broke the rule of law. I say they are guilty of refusing to adhere to the principles of ethics and morality, which provide them with the choices of right versus wrong.

They know what the right thing to do is, but the lust for power and control overwhelms the right and, so, they do the wrong.

Republicans, technically, are classified as “lawmakers”, the definition of which is “a person who makes or enacts laws, a legislator.” But, wait! Republicans don’t make or enact laws, they just block others that attempt to create laws. So they are law obstructionists, rather than lawmakers.

What kind of highly important legislation have Republicans ever created and brought before a Senate vote? I’m unable to think of anything at all but I’ll keep trying. 

Do modern-day Republicans stand for anything at all except engaging in various forms of oppression and suppression? The Republican Party doesn’t even have a 2021 national party platform with specific objectives. That’s because they have nothing of substance that they want to achieve. 

Do Republicans have consciences? Of course, because everyone does. A typical definition of conscience is: “your conscience is, your best judgment about how to put your best self into action. It’s one of the most powerful movements in your heart and soul. People often associate conscience with guilt, but learning how to follow your conscience can bring great peace, spiritual strength, motivation, and success.”

Here are some highly important issues that involve Republicans. in which they could and should have thought deeply about what is right versus what is wrong, and then did the right thing. But they did not. 

*Voter suppression: “In 2013 Chief Justice John Roberts gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which required certain states to get federal approval for voting changes. That terrible decision has opened the door for Republican-controlled states to use all kinds of voter suppression tactics to reduce the number of Americans who can vote in our elections; mainly African Americans, Hispanics, and other minorities.”

Republicans in control in many states are enacting new laws that will, unless Democrats can find ways to stop them, greatly help Republicans win many elections that, otherwise, they would lose. 

So, this is all about power and control. The ultimate aim of these control freaks is to replace our democracy with an authoritarian/autocratic government. Do you ever hear Republicans stressing the need to preserve our sacred Democracy?

They are guilty as charged.

*The Jan. 6 insurrection: Why are Republicans continuing to try to block a special commission to investigate what exactly happened on Jan.6? What are they afraid of? Wouldn’t you think that these “representatives of the people” would want to investigate what happened, what motivated these insurgents to invade the Capitol, fight the police, and threaten those inside? Shouldn’t they try to identify the invaders and their accomplices in Congress and bring them all to justice?

As these “Repubs” watched this insurgency take place, the massive violence involved, and the danger to Senate and House members, it boggles the mind to hear any number of them minimize what happened, and even call it no more than a large protest.

What should these unconcerned members of Congress be charged with? They know that there are those in their ranks who had collaborated with the invaders. But they covered up for them and for Donald Trump, who we know initiated the insurrection. They are: guilty as charged.

*Obstruction: the current rampant, ongoing obstruction in the Senate cannot be allowed to continue. Democratic Senators, Joe Manchin and Kristin Sinema, must be advised in the strongest terms that they must help in eliminating the filibuster; that if they don’t, they will be held responsible for allowing Republicans to continue to try to destroy our Democracy. 

*Two Impeachments of Trump: He was impeached for abuse of power, obstruction of Congress, and unpresidential behavior. If an independent commission of U.S. citizens had been given the responsibility of determining his innocence or guilt, they would have, without a doubt declared him as being guilty.

But not Republicans who, in effect, said: we “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” and that he was innocent of all charges. What cowardice! Guilty as charged.

*Bipartisanship: this process has been used in the Senate by Republicans and Democrats to work together to enact legislation; to solve this country’s most pressing problems, and create important programs such as Medicare and the Food Stamp Program.

It simply doesn’t work anymore because Republicans don’t want it to, they are told by Mitch McConnell that they should ignore Democrats’ attempts to use it and they, as usual, bow down to his dictates.

*White supremacy: One would have to be wearing blinders not to see that Republicans are strongly promoting white supremacy in this country. When you listen closely to what they say and what they stand for you will come away with the thought that the Republican Party should change its name to the White Supremacy Party.

It would be accurate to conclude that the radical element of QAnon/Proud Boys/Oath Keepers anti-government group is a subsidiary of the Republican Party. There are many Republicans such as Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, and Josh Hawley of Missouri strongly support these groups.

One might also say that Donald J. Trump has now assumed the presidency of the White Supremacist Party in America. 

What in the world has happened to the Republican Party, once the party of Lincoln that, in times past, had the best interests of this country as its highest priority,, that had adhered to the principles of ethics and morality?

This party is a thing of the past, a party that is no more. It once had great leaders such as Senators Robert Dole of Kansas, Everett Dirksen, of Illinois, and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. Now it has the likes of Mitch McConnell, Kevin McCarthy, and Ted Cruz. Appalling!

It has sold its heart and soul to gain power and control. It is a distinct threat and danger to this nation, its people, and our democracy; and so, the verdict that must be handed down is: guilty as charged, on all counts.

FALL FUNDRAISER

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