Notes from the Jan6 Aboveground

 A few days ago the January 6 Committee released its report. 

 I have been reading it, and decided to pass some of that information along, for any US citizen who cares about the future of this nation but has not been paying attention to the crimes revealed by our US House of Representatives Special Committee.

If you care to read the report, you can find it here:

https://january6th.house.gov/sites/democrats.january6th.house.gov/files/Report_FinalReport_Jan6SelectCommittee.pdf

The Committee Chairman who lead the investigation is a Congressman from Mississippi, Rep. Bennie Thompson, a man whose father had never voted in any election because of the “Jim Crow” laws of the old south. This was interesting to me because I spent nine years of my childhood in Mississippi during the 1950’s-early ’60’s. Some of the scenario in that time and place are included in the story that unfolds  in my recent novel, King of Soul.

Having watched all of the Jan6 committee hearings, I decided I would accept the challenge of reading their 800+page report.

Just so you’ll know. . . here are some points from my first reading session:

~ The mob that attacked our Capitol was an unexpected, unprecedented historical event. Only those who planned the insurrection knew what would be going down. For that reason, our Capitol Police and DC Police were unprepared for the assault. They were, therefore, not to blame for the disaster that happened. They performed bravely and admirably. Our guys protecting Congress and our Capitol were caught, unexpectedly, between a rock and a hard place.

~ “At the heart of our Republic is the guarantee of the peaceful transfer of power.”

~ President George Washington initiated the practice of peaceful transfer of power in 1793 when he handed control of our army back to Congress. That practice was never, in our history, violated until Donald Trump broke the law by inciting a riotous insurrection on January 6, 2021.

The trumpian fanatics were following a traitor insurrectionist instead of our Rule of Constitutional Law. But our Congressional Committee reported that. . .

~ “At the heart of our Republic is the guarantee of the peaceful transfer of power.”

~ President Ronald Reagan referred to our long history of peaceful transfer of power as “nothing less than a miracle,” . . . which he continued when he was inaugurated in 1981.

What would Reagan have said about the riot of Jan6?

~ The Jan6 Committee members recognized, at the outset of their investigation, that tens of millions of Americans had been persuaded by President Trump that the election was a fraud.

~ The Committee members knew that Trump’s accusation was a fraud, because our legal system had already been functioning as it should to judge the disputes raised by Trump’s attorneys, because. . .

~ "Dozens of state and federal judges had addressed and resolved all manner of allegations about the election. Our legal system functioned as it should, but our president would not accept the outcome."

~ “What most of the public did not know before our investigation is this: Donald Trump’s own campaign officials told him early on that his claims of fraud were false.”

~ Former campaign lawyer Alex Cannon testified:

     “I remember sharing with him that we weren’t finding anything that would be sufficient to change the results in any of the key states.”

~ Former Attorney General Barr testified:

    “I repeatedly told the President in no uncertain terms that I did not see evidence of fraud, you know, that would have affected the outcome of the election. And, frankly, a year and a half later, I haven’t seen anything to change my mind on that.”

 ~  President Trump was informed over and over again, by his senior appointees, campaign experts and those who had served him for years, that his election fraud allegations were nonsense.

~ In addition, multiple law firms previously engaged to work for the Trump Campaign decided that they could not participate in the strategy being instituted by Giuliani. They quit. 

~ Over the weeks that followed, dozens of judges across the country specifically rejected the allegations of fraud and irregularities being advanced by the Trump team and their allies. 

~ When suspending his (Rudolph Giuliani’s) license, a New York court said that Giuliani “communicated demonstrably false and misleading statements to courts, lawmakers and the public at large in his capacity as lawyer for former President Donald J. Trump” 

~ “In many cases, after making extravagant claims of wrongdoing, Trump’s legal representatives showed up in court or state proceedings empty-handed, and then returned to their rallies and media campaigns to repeat the same unsupported claims”

~ “. . . in no instance did a court find that the charges of fraud were real.”

Bottom line: Trump’s accusations that the election was stolen was based solely upon his own wishful thinking, projected by his own loud mouth into the minds and riotous actions of his followers. All the trouble, violence, insurrection and Capitol destruction that happened on January 6, 2021 was no more than a trumpian hissy’fit instigated into the destructive antics of his violent devotees.

 Glass half-Full

Conspiracy to Insurrection

 Oh say can you see, in the 2021 light

What we so proudly maintained 

after a riotous fight.

That broad dome and wide steps

through the perilous fight

O’er the barricades we watched

were so gallantly retained!

As our Congress did dare, with teargas in the air,

giving proof through the fight

that our Congress was still there;

O say does that Capitol Congress  remain

with our Presidency,

o’er the land of the free,  Democracy!

Thank God! 

In God we have trusted.

And so far, that assurance has worked out. In spite of a violent attack on our Capitol and Congress.

Our democratic republic survives for 246 years, still going strong.  

Now our US House of Representatives has gathered, made public, and delivered to our US Attorney General . . . evidence for our Department of Justice to prosecute the Jan6 conspirators for four specific crimes.

The charges are based on our Rule of Law, as set forth in Section 18 of US Code:

~ Obstruction of an official proceeding of our US government

~ Defrauding the United States

~ Making false statements

~ Insurrection against our United States government

Now it is up to Attorney General Garland and the special prosecutor that he appointed, Jack Smith, to prosecute those conspirators who attempted to obstruct defraud, to lie  and to overthrow.

The special Jan6 House Committee, having gathered thousands of documents and hundreds of testimonies, concluded its work yesterday with a report to Congress  and to the US Dep’t of Justice, and also to us, the People.

Their evidence, presently being delivered to Attorney General Garland, is a large collection of testimonies and documents. For sake of brevity here, I will mention only one noteworthy detail, provided to my screen yesterday by Ari Melber. A notable detail in the developing case against the conspirators is: there was, allegedly, at least one insider in the Capitol building, who was aiding and abetting the attackers.

We shall see, in the days ahead, how our Justice Department and Special Prosecutor handle these allegations, whether convictions will be obtained, and the treasonous criminals brought to justice.

If you care to hear my sung rendition of my added third verse to our National Anthem, listen: 

Oh say can you see. . .

Glass half-Full

Tank Angst

 I’m a melancholy man; 

that’s what I am.

I wander only as a cloud

to elude the madding crowd

through the sands of time

with some half-stolen rhyme,

whereupon I write to tell it:

encounter with a military-industrial relic!

They say all’s fair in love and war

but ’t’was not so in Sudetenland and Saar.

Yet hitler's imitators come and go.

Methinks this old tank might have stopped the fascist show.

But now putin's tanks destroy the Ukraine

with new/old weaponry, just the same,

probably updated

but still much hated.

I hope our new tank versions 

destroy putin’s Ukraine excursions.

Smoke

For the Foxes

 You may have heard this before. If so, give it another look.

You have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. 

 The greatest among you will be your servant.  Hey, those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 

Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the republicans and the democrats, you will not enter the destiny that you thought you were aiming at. 

Everyone who is angry with their fellow citizen will be liable for judgement. 

A better way is: let go of your friggin' two-cents worth; be reconciled with that wokey-pokey who is across the aisle from you, then see what you can  do to actually contribute to our general peace and prosperity.

You’ve heard it said, an eye for eye. . . but hey, if your so-called enemy knocks you for a loop, fuhgedabowdit! Forgive and forget.

Love your enemies and pray for those who oppose your little klan.

Pay attention to the signs along the way. They may be trying to tell you something that you missed in the good news that you thought you knew all about. 

Don’t accumulate—don’t get all hot and bothered about worldly wealth—or worldly power, for that matter— but lay up for yourself spiritual  treasure. 

You can’t obsess with both God and money. the real wealth ain’t gonna happen that way.

Power corrupts. Don’t be sucked into serving the god of forces when you should have known—you’ve been taught!—you oughta serve the Lord of Mercy.

A diseased tree cannot bear good fruit.

When you strive to remove the MSNBC out of your opponent’s view, you hypocrite, first take the FOX out your own eye. Then go and be reconciled with your so-called enemy.

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in fancy suits with ridiculous words (You know what I’m talkin’ about!)

When your judgement day comes, don’t be surprised to find out that many will be saying to the Lord look at all the good stuff I did.

But hey! Listen up y’all! you may be one of the neglectful ones to whom Messiah says: 

Go away; I never knew you, you workers of lawlessness!

Don’t be one of those to whom the Lord says, get the hell out of here, because, hey, I was hungry and you wouldn’t feed me; I was thirsty and you wouldn’t give me anything to drink, I was a stranger and you wouldn’t take me in. . . an immigrant and you wouldn’t admit me.

Instead of giving me a break you tried to build a wall! I'm not payin' for any dam wall.

Glass half-Full

Red Dragon

 

So . . . two D.C. Metro cops, Nguyen and Trent, are sitting at a bar. One says to the other. . .

    "Did you hear that?"  

    “Hear what?” asked Nguyen.

    Trent lowered his voice. “That guy right there, at the bar. He said something about a red dragon. Listen for a minute.”

    Morris Schroeder and Shapur Kabir were having one of their usual discussions. Morris was saying: “Modern minds don’t comprehend the metaphorical truth that is imparted through the use of archaic symbolism. Ancient writers didn’t have the use of cinema, or photography. And they didn’t have the benefit of scientific inquiry. They would use symbols, based on creatures or elements of the natural world, to represent entities in the spiritual world. Anyway, this serpent, or dragon, spews water out of his mouth. It’s a desperate attempt to drown the woman, or extinguish her influence. But then the earth helps the woman, by swallowing up the flood that comes from his mouth. Maybe that flood is rhetoric, because it comes out of the mouth—you know, like the hate message that Hitler spewed out. But the symbolism could be more inclusive than that. At any rate, this pregnant woman is given wings like an eagle, and is taken to the wilderness. I suppose that could be related to the expanding use of aircraft as the 20th century progressed. Or it may be more specific—the Allied powers used air power to overcome the Nazi war machine and afterwards to transplant the woman--Israel-- to Eretz Israel, the land, which is a wilderness. But of course there were people already living there in Palestine, and many of them were displaced with bloodshed, so another cycle of the old grudges were set into motion. It’s a mess, always has been.”

    “Excuse me, sir,” interjected Trent. “I couldn’t help overhearing your fascinating treatise. May I ask what it is you’re talking about?”
    Morris turned toward Trent. “Oh, I’m glad to be of service. I was talking about the flood of anti-Semitism that is metaphorically prophesied in the book of Revelation.”
    “You were saying something about a red dragon?”

excerpt from chapter 23 of my 2007 novel,    Glass half-Full

The Divisive Issue

 Point of Clarification here.

The issue that is truly dividing Dems and GOPers is not critical race theory. The controversy is not about CRT. 

Everybody has learned about slavery—the defeat of it, and the difficult adjustments that had to be worked out during and after Reconstruction. . . progress made through  Brown v. Board of Education, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the setbacks of injustice revealed in the death of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Freddie Gray, et al, and our need for reform in inner city law enforcements.

This current American split is not about CRT; It’s about LGB. 

And it is not really about LGB as much as it is about EDU, which is to say it is about Education, specifically the elementary kind, and what is being taught to children about gender fluidity. 

We have had men and women and children in this world for a very long time . . . thousands of years. It is not an issue the opinions of which can be rearranged in one generation, or even two. And to further complicate the problem, public perception and opinion about these issues is all bound up in the Net, or the Web.

You see . . . in this country,

we have seven ways from Sunday for finding fault with the other side. We are consensus-less . . . with the Left blinded in fairy dust  while the Right is all caught up in a Rebumlican shitstorm.

We can’t even get real News anymore. 

Walter Cronkite is dead. Huntley and Brinkley have gone to that great newscast in the sky. Dan Rather must have found some place he would rather be, not being assaulted on the floor of a convention center in Chicago. 

Morley Safer is in an undisclosed location that is no doubt safer than this world. Mike Wallace is still reporting from the other side of the rainbow. Worst of all, JFK disappeared, just when we needed him most, on the other side of that great grassy knoll in the sky. 

“News” has retracted  into a vast musky twit-hole in The Cloud  . . .while political and cultural identity groups have faced off with each other making matters worse with every confrontation. 

Meanwhile, back at the push coming to shove, Public opinion slipstreams inscrutably as billions of zinging devices go zanging through molten-sand fibers of electronified energy. . . all the while, Time is tik-tocking across the universe searching for any sign of the latest thing, the sexiest thing, or the most popular thing.

Meanwhile, the Deity went down to Georgia, looking for some souls to Save. At about that time, a very special preacher stepped onto the Ebenezer pulpit and did what the Lord and his People had called him to do. After establishing a firm base, he moved on up to a seat in the US Senate. 

This man, Raphael, the preaching Senator, has a divine mission: Find a way where there is no way! 

This preacher will find that way between the Religious Right and the Enlightened Left. 

The so-called Christian Right people will listen to him because he is in fact a preacher of the Gospel and he knows the Book from cover to cover.

The Democrats will listen to him because he stopped one of the greatest running backs of all time, and because he has been, like his predecessor, Dr. King, to the mountaintop. And if that aint enough, , , John Lewis (the John Henry of color folk) was one his parishoners.

Rev Warnock will function in Congress as a Peacemaker. As Jesus had indicated; he will be called a son of God. . . which is (relax) just a way of saying: appointed by God, and tasked with a certain duty to perform.

Rev Warnock, has been, like his predecessor, Dr. King, to the Mountaintop  

 Having descended back down to the world of politics, the Rev has a divinely appointed task to perform. Make way for him.

And forget about CRT. Just convince the LGBs not to push their program on our kids in school and . . . with a little civil tolerance, we’ll get through this.

King of Soul

Sacred @ Secular

 I am of the tribe of Christ; but we inhabit a secular world.

The standards of propriety and practice are different in those two realms. 

As Christians, we are challenged by our Lord to inhabit both.

During the Christmas season, this duality is more obvious than at other times. 

For instance, in the Faith world we have specific standards and practice in the realm of marriage and intimacy.

 

Our standard for marriage is represented in this Christmas ornament: Man, Woman and Child. 

The standards are different in secular society. We are challenged by laws of the land to respect the marital and intimate practices of citizens who do not share our definitions . . . even as we celebrate, within our own congregations, the faithful sacrament of marriage between one man and one woman. 

An Apostle of the earliest Christians exhorted us, in his letter to the Romans:

“If possible, so far as it is depends on you, be at peace with all men.”

Peace on earth and good will to everybody!

I consider his exhortation as wisdom that allows me to tolerate the practice of worldly people who do not share my faith and standards  of behavior.

But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Please do not interfere. 

In our  narrow pathway through this world, we preach and teach to encourage Christian families in a covenant that is represented in the historical event that is represented in my pic above. . . man, woman and child. 

But I also understand that not all citizens in my country will agree with me on these points. But hey . . . Live and let live. You go your way and I'll go mine.

Meanwhile back at the tranche . . . having written that, I will exercise our freedom of speech, and freedom of the e-press, by adding this little political note:

In this dual season of yuletide which overlaps a political run-off election in Georgia, I would express this opinion: As a citizen of North Carolina, I cannot vote in Georgia, but I have noticed that the Rev. Raphael Warnock is well-equipped  in managing, appropriately, his Christian ministerial vocation at Ebenezer . . . along with representing, equitably, the people of Georgia in the US Senate. So if you live in Georgia, vote for the Rev on Tuesday. Whatever state you live in, comprehend that all fifty senators serve Us the People with their wisdom, good sense and high standards (we hope) of morality.

In my opinion, a Christian pastor--such as Rev Raphael-- is quite well-equipped, and likely to serve us with honesty and integrity, although he may not blast through a defensive line like the other candidate. God bless you, too, Herschel, but find something else to do. Just now, we have too much offense in our politics.

May we all have happy holidays and--if you're into it-- a Merry Christmas!

King of Soul

Raskin and Schiff

 donald trump scrapes the bottom of the barrel when he resorts to courting anti-semites for support.

So many other former supporters—many in high places—have deserted trump because they were squeezed by  events, and public opinion, and most important of all, common sense. . . into an unavoidable disavowal of the former president.

Good riddance, saith the American people: the removal of donald trump from Oval Office.

But the problem of trump did not just go away. 

It is not hard for a power-seeking demagogue to fall under the sway of antisemitic extremists, after most of the sensible citizens have seen through his lies and self-agrandizing hubris. 

In human history, this is not a new problem.

Several other nations in ancient and modern history have fallen into that fascist trap. adolf hitler had the same power-seeking fixation. See Daniel 11: 38.

Unfortunately, it took an entire global civilization and millions of dead strewn across bomb-pocked battlefields to resist and ultimately correct that third reich mistake. 

nazis like to blame all the bad stuff of this life  on the Jews. 

In this recent case, trump flirts with anti-semites because they are looking for a white-out applicant to do their dirty work for them. And he is looking for a white-out to do his dirty work for him.

In the ranks of Congressional leaders who have consistently and courageously striven to bring the traitorous trump to Justice, there are two men whose efforts have long been consistent, skillful, and vigilant in their crusade to remove trump from our Presidency before he could completely destroy its dignity and legitimacy.

Jamie Raskin and Adam Schiff.

These two bold legislators have persisted longer than any others to bring correction, justice and the American way. . . back to the Oval Office. 

In his most recent move, trump brings Ye and Fuentes, the antisemites, into his lago lair to explore perhaps some ways to get rid of his problem. Gotta find someone to blame and then rough'em up, a la the battle of Charlottesville a few years ago.

The antisemites were brought in because the two most effective public leaders who have striven to expose trump’s criminality are Jewish. Between the most notable truth-seeking journalists and the most watched networks there are plenty enough citizens of  Hebrew lineage to convince the neo-nazis that they need to revert to hitlerian tactics. 

Jews have to be vigilant because history has proven that fascist demagogues always hate them and persecute them. 

We’ve seen this tragedy before, in 1933-45. That is why, in the ancient scriptures, their ancient struggle is documented in  legendary and symbolic language.

“. . . and when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. But two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place.”

Glass half-Full