Letter to the Editor

We knew it was a long-shot that enough Republican senators would do the right thing, and now that the Impeachment conviction-phase has concluded, the sorting process begins in earnest.  We cannot work & cooperate with Seditionists & their accomplices.  We need to assert & reestablish the progressive values for our 21st century world & government, and adhere to pruning-away those cancerous-parts which cannot be in accord with the whole.  Those seeking Unity, must put their money & actions where their voices are.  A confederate-flag & Nazi-flag had NEVER before entered our Capitol building, but 1/6/21 changed that fact.  Our nation’s Capitol was desecrated, but NOT beyond repair.  For now IS such a time as declared in Isaiah 58:12: “And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places; thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations, and thou shalt be called the Repairer of the breach, Restorer of paths to dwell in.”  Those who “shall be of thee”, shall join in the unity of that restoration, not a furtherance of degradation!  For those paying attention, we are witnessing the demolition of The Grand Old Party, imploding & burning to the ground.  What phoenix may rise from its ashes, remains to be seen.  Those simply holding govt positions for naked-ego-ambition, as opposed to the common-good of America, need to be shown the door; some will be shown prison-doors.

A 28-year-old, Abraham Lincoln warned in his 1838 Lyceum address, titled “The Perpetuation of our Political Institutions”:  “a tyrant could overtake the U.S. political system from within, mobs or people who disrespected U.S. laws and courts could destroy the U.S.   The Constitution and Rule of Law in the U.S. are the political religion of our nation.  If it ” (a destroyer) “ever reaches us, it must spring up amongst us; it cannot come from abroad.  If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher.  As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide; …. but what invading foemen could never do, the silent artillery of time has done — the leveling of its walls.”  Michael Metzger explained in his article: Silencing the Silent Artillery (undated, Clapham Institute), “the silent artillery was a collective amnesia regarding America’s most formative events” & principles.   We must Awaken and end the desecration, and stalwartly rebuild, restore & revere our nation’s extraordinary principles, or lose our grand democratic-Republic!  Abe gave this lecture 22 years before he became President; 23 years before The Civil War began.  Far earlier, George Washington warned about emerging parties & factions that would begin to put those loyalties before their loyalty to country.

Trish Forsyth Voss

Jamie Raskin, Joe Neguse and other Democratic-House-managers are ‘hitting the ball out of the park’ in their prosecution of the second, historic Impeachment trial against former-president, Donald J. Trump. while his 3rd-rate legal-defense team is clearly ‘out of their league’.  “Trump is apparently being represented by the Law Firm of Meandering & Furious”, said Paul Begala,  political commentator.  Bruce Castor Jr,  first at bat to defend Trump, spoke in a rambling manner about  …. well, it was difficult to follow.  Second at bat was Atlanta-based attorney, David Schoen, who spoke vehemently, though not that coherently.  Mr. Castor, at the close of the first day’s session, made remarks to the Senate that the Democratic-House-manager’s presentation was “well done” and “more effective” than he’d anticipated.  Those close to Trump said that he “was screaming at his defense-attorneys”, on his TV screen.   I guess you get what you pay for  (if you ARE paying for it).   Michael T. van der Veen, a personal-injury lawyer, is also listed as one of Trump’s new attorneys, even though van der Veen was involved in a suit against  Trump last year, and later accused him of making claims about voter-fraud with “no evidence”, and is now denying that he recently called Trump “a F…ing crook”.    Castor made another interesting comment on 2/9/21, seemingly suggesting that Trump should possibly have been “arrested & charged with a crime, instead of being impeached”.   On 2/10/21, Fulton Co. Georgia’s District Attorney announced a criminal investigation into the harassment of election officials by Donald Trump.

The House-manager’s Impeachment trial is riveting, but some senators, such as Rubio, Cruz & Hawley appeared less than interested.  They were surely less impacted by the video-footage shown of the murderous-mobs clubbing police, coming for their colleagues; not sharing the full-extent of Jan 6th terror, as they knew the mob hadn’t come for them.   Trump might not pay his lawyers, but he’s surely bought himself some jurors.  Look, here’s the deal: Trump summoned a mob to kill his Vice President!  Trump’s end-play was to have Mike Pence killed, Speaker of the House, Pelosi, president pro tem of the Senate, VP-elect Harris & some other Congress-members killed.   Then he could then have declared martial law and become dictator of the United States.   That was the end-game encouraged by Michael Flynn & others.  That’s how Trump would stay in power; and ALL our senators NEED to hold him accountable!  Or going forth, there can be NO Unity!  We cannot work & cooperate with Seditionists or their accomplices!

Trish Forsyth Voss

The NYT story that ran 1/31/21, had 7 journalist’s names on the byline, and gave the run-down on the “77 Days to Subvert the Election”: the dates & events that Donald Trump set in motion in his attempts to sow doubt on the legitimacy of the election processes, to bring bogus-lawsuits in courts, to push conspiracy-theories and to use others to conspire with him, to abuse his power of office to bully election & government officials & legislators, to promote wildly-false narratives in order to encourage contributions to fund his so-called legal arguments & to bribe organizers on his behalf, to influence his followers to believe that V.P. Pence could do otherwise than just ceremonially-announce states’ certified counts; and when all previous onslaughts failed, he sought to inflame & incite the assembled crowd to perpetrate an insurrectionary-attack on our Capitol, in order to subvert our democracy and overthrow the peaceful transfer of power, the established 224 year precedent.  The incitement didn’t begin on Jan 6; it culminated on that date.  Tens of thousands of Trump-followers traveled to, some bused into, D.C. for the express-purpose of “taking their country back”!   That rhetoric had been used for weeks leading-up to Trump’s Jan 6th rally, “The March to Save America”.  He said, “Be a part of history!”  His followers answered, “We heard your call; we’re here for you!”  Trump invoked, “You’ll NEVER take back our country with weakness!”       It was Trump’s plan, his coup; he helped arrange & orchestrate it, and finally whipped it into the crescendo we witnessed: “American Carnage”,  just as he prophesied, “It will be WILD!”

Trump basically forced DOJ, Bill Barr to resign; then Trump plotted behind the back of Acting Atty Gen, Jeffrey A. Rosen, with Acting Civil Division Chief, Jeffrey Clark & Pennsylvania Congressman Scott Perry, to threaten investigations, to pressure Georgia Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, to invalidate his state’s results, in order to force a new lawsuit to SCOTUS, challenging the entire election.  Trump replaced top officials at the Pentagon; then refused for hours to deploy National Guard to protect our Congress during his attempted coup.  Trump, the megaphone behind the murderous-hoards, excitedly watched on TV, scenes of violence from the Capitol.   Trump’s ULTIMATE betrayal of his Oath of Office to Protect & Defend our country & our Constitution is OUTRAGEOUS, and can only be healed by Trump’s conviction & disqualification to ever run again for any American office!  We should NEVER have to endure this HELL again!

Trish Forsyth Voss

A domestic-terrorism alert was released 1/27/21, by our Homeland Security dept, warning US  that we’re under a “heightened-threat-environment, from ideologically-motivated, violent-extremists with objections to the exercise of government authority and the presidential-transition, that is likely to persist over the coming weeks.  These extremists also feel perceived-grievances fueled by false narratives.”  A warning against fellow-Americans!   Many legislators, their families & others have been under death threats for months from these extremists; these threats have increased.   Biden, on 1/7/21, said, “What we witnessed yesterday was not dissent, not disorder, it was chaos; a riotist-mob, insurrectionists, domestic terrorists”.   On 1/26/21, Senate-majority-leader Schumer introduced the second set of  Impeachment articles on former-president, Donald Trump.  Senator Rand Paul objected to the proceeding as unconstitutional, a vote followed: 45 Republican senators voted the proceeding to be unconstitutional;  5 Republicans voted with 50 Democrat senators that the proceeding is constitutional.  It is, it has precedent, the trial will begin week of Feb 8th.  The Republicans want us to “let it all go”, some protesting that no witnesses will be presented, but everyone in the Capitol building on 1/6/21 were eye-witnesses to the Insurrectionist-attack, were victims of that day’s terror.  Mike & Karen Pence remain in hiding.   The enemy is within our walls, BEWARE!

Beliefs are one thing; actions or inciting others to violent-action is another, hence the current “Domestic-terrorism bulletin”.  Representative Kevin McCarthy is supposedly “going to have a talk” with representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is a caustic, deranged, gun-toting, QAnazi, dangerous member of Congress, who has called for executions of certain democrats.  However, McCarthy gave her a Congressional committee-assignment, on the Education Committee!  Read up on her.   What can de done about these very high-profile individuals with dangerous worldviews in our own government?   The FBI has discovered deeply-entrentched radicalization, planning, organizing, funding activities, and have arrested several hundred people in the last weeks, some former-military members! “Deradicalization, repeated exposure to the truth, to reality, is a monumental challenge that must be undertaken.  We cannot be ambivalent!   We cannot negotiate or work with terrorists”, said Frank Figliuzzi, former FBI official.   It has been stated that Abraham Lincoln was faced with the Civil War, Woodrow Wilson, a global pandemic, FDR, the Great Depression, JFK, the Cold War, LBJ, extreme civil-racial-strife, Obama, the Great Recession.    Now Joseph R. Biden, 46th president of the U.S, faces all of the above!   Reconstruction is underway.  The backlash continues.   Big structural changes are coming FAST; many people will find these changes extremely difficult to accept.

Trish Forsyth Voss

The Inauguration of Joseph R. Biden Jr and Kamala Harris was much scaled back from previous inaugurations, but it was lovely nonetheless;  many of us watched it through tears and smiles.  A day of hope & healing in the American story; and kudos to Senator Amy Klobuchar and others who orchestrated the celebrations, fulsome of dignity & grace.  Many felt the swearing-in should occur in a bunker, but President Biden, in faith & confidence wanted the celebratory oaths to occur, as usual, outside, before the Capitol building, though some visual vestiges of the Jan 6th attack on our democracy remained.   Senators, Representatives, and their spouses were invited to attend, and the likes of Ted Cruz were seen at the Inauguration.  Mike Pence was there to lend some official respectability, since Trump was unable to muster the maturity & magnanimity to attend Biden’s swearing-in, unable to fulfill the usual welcoming of the new president-elect to the White House for tea and a tour of his new living quarters, unable to stand witness to the actual, peaceful transition of power.  That suited most of us just fine; his presence was NOT missed!  And so, an ‘end of an error’ passed.

Biden’s inaugural speech centered on a keynote of unity, which most of us sorely desire, but we have a few differences of opinion on how to get there.  Some say “Pardon Trump & acquit him in the Impeachment proceedings”, but I believe the Left is going to insist on accountability, a real show of commitment from legislators to ensure justice happens for the violent extremists who attacked our government, as we walk toward unity.  SPEAK TRUTH!   The Senate, which WAS headed by Majority Leader, Mitch McConnel, had not confirmed ANY of Biden’s Cabinet nominations before Biden took office; they finally held hearings for five nominees on 1/19/21.  Senator Josh Hawley objected to Biden’s Secretary of Homeland Security pick, Alejandro Mayorkas, slowing down the confirmation process.  Not unity!  Biden needs his new administration to get to work speedily, and his Cabinet nominees are far more qualified than the previous administration’s were.  Chuck Schumer is NOW the Senate Majority Leader; Raphael Warnock, Jon Ossoff  & Alex Padilla were just sworn-in to the Senate 1/20/21, by our new Vice President, Kamala Harris, who shattered that glass ceiling!  First ever …. Female Vice President!  “Dont’ say we can’t change!”  And she is the Democrat tie-breaker for Senate votes!

Trish Forsyth Voss

Ten House Republicans joined 222 Democrats in impeaching Donald J. Trump on 1/13/21; impeached for a second time in a four-year term.  UNPRECEDENTED!   An out-of-control, deranged president, had to be held accountable for his actions: inciting an Insurrectionist-mob that stormed & desecrated our temple of democracy, trying to stop the announcement of electoral votes, interrupting the peaceful transition of power.  An investigation is underway into all those complicit in organizing, funding, influencing & participating in the 1/6/21 seditionist-attack on our government & all within the walls of that citadel.  NEVER FORGET!       The inside-job included some Capitol police & higher-ups, all the way up to the U.S. President.  Congressmen like Paul Gosar, Ted Cruz & Josh Hawley need to APOLOGIZE & RESIGN!   Members of Congress have reported that others were giving tours (like reconnaissance) of the Capitol in the early days of January.  Panic buttons were ripped from some offices.   Five people were murdered at the Capitol, many others badly maimed; it could have gone much worse.  Several officers were beaten nearly to death, one …. with an American flag, while demented-crowds chanted USA!   The mob even brought a gallows with them.  They planned to hang Mike Pence & assassinate Nancy Pelosi and others.

The FBI dragnet has already arrested nearly 100 thugs; many more will be round-up; some are already on a NO-FLY list.  We need a deep cleansing of the Capitol, the White House and our entire country.  America is seeing a dangerous rise of religious nationalism, American Nazism, anti-govt extremist-militias, along with a surging population of lunatic-conspiracy-theorists, like QAnon, a couple of which were elected to our new Congress.  Those in our own government who fed into the BIG LIE, creating the STOP THE STEAL herd, must have a ‘mea culpa’ moment, and start speaking truth to their constituents.   Representative Liz Cheney, third-ranking Republican-leader in the House voted for Trump’s Impeachment saying, “There has never been a greater betrayal by a president of the U.S. of his office & his oath to the Constitution”.  Mitch McConnell has stated he wants Trump impeached & removed from the GOP party, following the announcement by big donors that they will no longer contribute to any political parties.  Americans need to come to Reality!  It is OUR responsibility to seek-out truth & reject folly, to NOT “strain-out gnats while swallowing camels”.   Hundreds of guardsmen are sleeping on the floors of the Capitol building.   You can bet D.C. Statehood will be coming.

Trish Forsyth Voss

January 6, 2021, Congress was gathered to ‘ceremonially’ count the Electoral votes that had already ascertained Joseph Biden & Kamala Harris as President-elect & VP-elect.  I listened to the speeches of Ted Cruz, contesting the votes of Arizona, and Mitch McConnell, who ardently advised his fellows to cease their objections, saying, “I will not pretend this vote is just a harmless protest gesture”.  He spoke mainly to the Republicans, who are imploding their own party, of the importance of “acknowledging & respecting certain shared-truths, even when we disagree with them”.  A couple of hours previous, Giuliani invoked: “trial by combat” at Trump’s rally, where Trump incited, with allegations of rigged-elections, thousands of rioters with, “LET’S GO TO THE CAPITOL”, as he retreated to the protections of the White House; the mob converged on the Capitol building, breaching security, breaking windows, assaulting Capitol & Metro police, sorely & questionably unprepared.  Pence, Pelosi & Grassley were the first persons whisked-away to safety, as senators & representatives, in their locked offices, were hiding under desks, praying, texting loved ones, as they heard breaking glass & loud booms.  Bloodied bodies were carried out on stretchers, explosive devices found on Capitol Hill grounds.   The chaplain prayed, as thousands of ‘coup-conspirators’ occupied & desecrated our Capitol building & grounds for hours.

D.C. mayor Bowser, had called out the national guard, but as the situation changed from assumed-protesters to rioting-Insurrectionists, a different plan set in motion; a curfew was announced.  The seditionists stormed the U.S. Capitol with ease; one terrorist took down the American flag, substituting a Trump flag.  People pleaded with Trump on Twitter to restore order & tell rioters to STAND DOWN.  Trump eventually spoke half-heartedly, telling his attack-dogs to “go home, even though the election was stolen from us all”; he called them “special people”, and said he loved them.   Earlier, Joseph Biden spoke to the nation, and called on Trump to restore order.  Biden quoted Abraham Lincoln,  “We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope on earth.  The way is plain, peaceful, generous, just — a way which, if followed, the world will forever applaud, and God must forever bless.”    Our brave, but traumatized Congress returned that very evening, working til near dawn January 7th, confirming the Biden/Harris victory.  Calls have increased for Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment; president Trump, an immediate danger to national security, needs to be relieved NOW of his command!

Trish Forsyth Voss

Congress finally passed a $900 billion Covid-Relief bill, which went to the president’s desk for signing; the bill includes among many other things:  $600 payments for all qualifying adults & their children, unemployment insurance extension with $300 enhancements, a 30-day extended moratorium on evictions, monies for rental assistance and SNAP benefits (aka food stamps).   Also included is some monies for getting folks vaccinated.  Covid-19 virus is mutating in U.K. and other European countries; U.K. is shutdown to most travelers.   The Russians massively cyber-hacked & breached our federal agencies, such as Treasury, Homeland Security & U.S. Nuclear weapons agency.

Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, former (fired) U.S. National Security Advisor, stated that Trump should definitely declare martial law and re-run the voting systems in the states Trump lost.  Rudy Giuliani, chief-enabler of presidential-fantasies, who charges $20,000 daily retainer fee for Trump legal work, called Homeland Security, insisting THEY  go to swing states & seize those voting machines.  Smartmatic’s election-tech vendor demanded retractions from right-wing media organizations for their lies regarding his machines, and some have walked-back their defaming-comments.  Trump’s previous coup-attempt failed in the courts and this ploy will fail also.  While Krazytown resident & clown-lawyer, Sidney Powell, has Trump’s ear, Giuliani declared that “she does not speak for the president”.  “Trump is lashing out & everyone is in the blast zone!”  Trump is turning on his VP, Chief-of-Staff,  lawyer Pat Cipollone and all other “disloyalists”, who won’t follow him off the cliff of declaring martial law, blocking Biden’s victory & refusing to leave the White House.  A military spokesperson announced, “the military is not the arbiter of elections”.   Pence must validate Biden’s victory, on the Senate floor, on Jan 6th; finally the “Et tu, Brute” moment will arrive!

SDNY has active federal investigations into Giuliani, and they want his electronic communications.  It’s reported that Giuliani received half a million dollars from Lev Parnas & Igor Fruman.  SDNY is also investigating Trump for several crimes.  We will see a wholesale-pardon-flurry soon as Trump pardons his entire family, his cohorts & himself.   Trump’s longtime banker resigned 12/22 from Deutsche Bank, which has had a ‘tricky Russian connection’ & has been fined for money-laundering in the past.  Meanwhile, the Trump administration has stepped-up executions & deportations.   WE WANT ‘HIM’ OUT!    House Speaker Pelosi said, “I’m counting down the hours til he’s gone.  I plan to pull him out of there by his hair, his little hands & his feet!”

Trish Forsyth Voss

The Electoral College voted Joseph R. Biden, President-Elect, to be inaugurated on 1/20/21.   Even Mitch McConnell finally accepted the victory on 12/15, congratulating Biden & Harris on their wins.  Instigator-in-Chief, Trump swiftly attacked McConnell tweeting, “Mitch, 75,000,000 VOTES, a record for a sitting President (by a lot)).  It’s still too soon to give up.  Republican party must finally learn to fight.  People are angry!”   Trump continues to stoke the anger of his base.  The 126 Republicans who signed the amicus-brief presented to SCOTUS to discard valid votes from 4 states, attacking our democracy, went too far!   The 14th Amendment, section 3, of our Constitution PROHIBITS  any senators, representatives, electors of President or Vice-President, or office-holders, civil or military, who have taken the oath to uphold our Constitution, who have then engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the U.S. — their being seated & serving in our government.  Many of us on the left & middle & former-Republicans are also angry; we’re outraged & fed-up with the seditionists on the far-Right, who are calling for Trump to invoke martial-law rather than leave office; many even talking of secession!  Comparing this moment to the Civil War era is not that far-out.  The GOP is in it’s death-throes; many such formerly affiliated voters have cut ranks with the Greedy Obstructionist Party, abandoned the dark side, coming over to the Light.  Such as: Steve Schmidt, who tweeted on 12/15   “I spent 29 years as a Republican.  I’ve spent 2 & half as an independent, and later this afternoon I will register as a member of the Democratic party. Because in America today,  it’s only the Democratic party that stands for the ideas & ideals of American liberty.  It’s a broad, big tent party — I understand ideologically where I come from isn’t anywhere close to being the median opinion of  the party on some issues, but I think in this hour, for the balance of my life and my participation in politics, I’m not independent in this fight anymore”.   WELCOME: Steve Schmidt & all others who join the party of inclusion, equality & progressive values!

The Pfizer-Covid-vaccine rolled out 12/14; and as I write this …. nearly 306,000 Americans have died from Covid-19.   The Dodge City, Kansas, Mayor Joyce Warshaw, resigned today 12/16, and MOVED, after receiving threats over a mask-mandate (her daughter contracted Covid-19, and her aunt recently died from it).   Warshaw, a former-Republican, has now changed her party-affiliation to one of common-sense.  The GOP is in rapid free-fall!

Trish Forsyth Voss

After a wildly-desperate, post-election-campaign, contacting election-officials in battleground states, blatantly pressuring them to overturn their election-results that were certified by Safe Harbor Day 12/8, showing President-elect Biden won the 2020 election — after some-50 courts rejected or dropped frivolous lawsuits from the likes of Rudy Giuliani, Trump influenced Pennsylvania Republican legislators to bring a lawsuit to U.S. Supreme Court — alleging voter-fraud claims, asking the court to block certification of results, which SCOTUS refused to even hear.  This rejection, another crushing loss for Donald Trump, only served to stoke a bald-pardon-bid by Texas Atty Gen, Ken Paxton, (who is under investigation by the FBI for alleged financial crimes he’s committed) to file a lawsuit on 12/8 in four states (GA, PA, MI & WI) on charges of ‘unconstitutional changes’ to 2020 election laws.  Hours before SCOTUS denied  the suit, Trump made direct appeals to state officials to assist him in his efforts to subvert the will of the people, as he continues to bloviate about how he “really won”, baiting supporters with his ploy, “Let’s see if someone has the courage to do what everybody in this country knows is right”.  On 12/9, seventeen other GOP state’s Attorneys General have joined Paxton’s lawsuit, seeking to invalidate the 62 electoral votes from those battleground states, basically cancelling fair & free votes in 18 states.  The GOP is either scared to death of Trump or they are more concerned with egregious power-grabs than with demonstrating integrity or upholding our democratic elections.  Trump is causing a crises in our democracy; he DOES NOT have every right to continue his baseless voter-fraud claims, creating more division!

Armed Trump-supporters have turned out at homes of election-officials, screaming, “STOP THE STEAL”, threatening violence & issuing death threats, all incited by Donald Trump.  What will become of US?   Mitt Romney denounced President Trump’s attempts to reverse the election results as “among the most undemocratic actions ever taken by a sitting president”.  The Utah Senator said, “This is madness.! We have a process, recounts are appropriate, pursuing every legal avenue is appropriate, but trying to get electors NOT to do what the people voted to do is madness”.  Trump’s attempts tear at the fabric of our Constitution!   Hopefully, on Monday, 12/14, the Electoral College will vote for Joseph R. Biden for president.  Meanwhile, Biden daily continues to roll-out his esteemed cabinet-picks.  All this, as our nation saw on 12/9, the greatest number of Covid deaths, 3103, in one day; more than on 9/11, more than incurred in Pearl Harbor attack, more than occurred in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake & resulting conflagration.

Trish Forsyth Voss