There can be no unity without justice.
Donald Trump and his Republican co-conspirators led an insurrection this week in an attempt to overthrow the elected government of the United States of America. Their assault on our democracy has failed, and now these very same individuals are calling for immediate reconciliation.
With all due respect to Abraham Lincoln, who wanted to welcome Southern States back into the Union, “with malice toward none,” we are not ready to forgive and forget so quickly. These traitors should not be allowed to dictate the terms of their reintegration.
Today’s Republicans are like arsonists who spark a blaze and then tell the firefighters how it should be put out. No, there must be consequences for their actions. If not, the likelihood that this happens again increases exponentially.
For starters, Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani and Rep. Mo Brooks should all be arrested for whipping up their, “Make America Great Again,” cult army into a frenzy. In the hours preceding the Battle of the Capitol, Trump told thousands of supporters that they needed to be strong and would, “never take the country back with weakness.”
Giuliani said to the crowd that they needed to administer a, “trial by combat.” Brooks instructed them to, “take down names and kick ass.”
So, they listened. And they tried to do as they were told.
A group of mostly middle-aged white men and women stormed the United States Capitol Building and squared off with police. Five people died, including officer Brian Sicknick, 42, who was smashed in the head with a fire extinguisher. Four of the rioters were also killed.
Make no mistake about what these people wanted to do. They aimed to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s win, so they could reinstall Donald Trump as president. Some brought zip-ties because they sought to kidnap and take lawmakers hostage. Many chanted, “Hang Mike Pence,” because the Vice President refused to go along with Trump’s unconstitutional idea of not certifying the Electoral College vote. This was an uprising, albeit not a very well-planed or thought-out one.
Then, there were the men and women on the inside, the Republican senators and representatives who objected to the election results based on what they knew to be disinformation. Chief among them, Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz led the insurrection from within. Both these men have no place in Congress. They are not fit for political office. They should be removed immediately.
Even after the rioters were repelled, and lives were lost, Hawley and Cruz still carried on with their ridiculous charade and brought five other senators along. In the House, 140 representatives proceeded with the stolen-election lie. Hiding in secure and undisclosed locations for hours did not scare them straight.
Joe Biden is now in a tough spot. His entire campaign has been predicated on unifying the nation and ending this poisonous division. From that perspective, Republicans’ message seems, on its face, logical and sound.
But here’s the problem. This call for unity is one of political expediency. Perfidious Republicans don’t actually want it, and they will return to their divisive ways as soon as they get off scot free. They just want to save their skins. They have gone too far and realize it’s too late to turn back. The easy way out is if the new government forgives and forgets.
That cannot happen.
There must be repercussions, and not just for the foot soldiers who did the dirty work. Arresting the, “QAnon Shaman,” and the guy from Arkansas who put his feet up on Nancy Pelosi’s desk, is far from enough.
There must be accountability for the leaders of this rebellion.
Donald Trump must be held accountable. Rudy Giuliani must be held accountable. Mo Brooks must be held accountable. Josh Hawley must be held accountable. Ted Cruz must be held accountable. The 144 other senators and representatives who went along for the ride must be held accountable. The propagandists who have turned family members against each other and convinced so many into believing an alternate reality must be held accountable.
This cannot be swept under the rug. It is imperative that we hold these traitors responsible for their actions.
The future of our nation depends on it.