“It is absurd that a man should rule others, who cannot rule himself.” — Latin proverb
President Donald Trump has used his position to rally men and women to engage in a protest that turned into an insurrection at the nation’s Capitol building. His seditious rhetoric prompted a large horde of domestic terrorists to swarm the entryways and breach the spaces protected by security personnel. He wants to continue his fantasy that the results of the election can be overturned.
Who does this? It was in 1814 that British forces destroyed buildings in Washington, D.C., in retaliation for our raid on a fort in York, Ontario. We are supposed to be a shining example of democracy for the world. Trump has incited his foot soldiers to commit domestic terrorism in order to back his play to stay in office. As Aristotle said, “He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander.” In my view, whatever you put up with, you end up with.
Trump has, for all intents and purposes, resigned the presidency to promote his grievances about losing the election. He has absolved himself of addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, and he is not capable of leading the country until Jan. 20. I think he should have been removed from office in last year’s impeachment proceedings, but it is not likely to happen now. I wonder what senators like Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz feel about impeachment proceedings after he leaves office and how it would affect their competition for the 2024 election.
This is not over. There has been an insurrection against the U.S. government. I can only hope that cooler heads will prevail. President-elect Joe Biden has his work cut out for him, and he must use his influence to talk about solutions and empower others to follow the rule of law in order to preserve our constitutional republic. Our country is more important than political acrimony, and we must repair our world image by returning to civil dialogue and social harmony.
Don Hiddleson
Millcreek