The Pace
“The genius of impeachment lay in the fact that it could punish the man without punishing the office.”
Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.
I've heard a number of people – in real life, on the television, and on the internet – say that Trump is goading the Democrats to impeach him. A number of these people are convinced that this alone is reason enough to not try to impeach and convict him. I respectfully disagree.
Although I am an old man who believes strongly in non-violence, I am reminded of a time in my life when I was neither …..as a young man, I really enjoyed fighting. This was mainly in the boxing ring, but not always. While in my late teens, for example, there were a number of times when in social settings (bars or a party) when I had a verbal disagreement with someone, and they would say,”You don't look that tough.”
Their next sentence was usually, “Hell, I don't 'box' in a street fight,” as if I expected a referee to appear. No, sir. If I knew a fight was bound to happen, hearing, “Go ahead – you hit me first” was music to my ears. The next thing they heard was my fists sizzling through the air, marking the beginning of their impeachment ...er, beating.
Perhaps there is some truth to be found in Joseph Campbell's telling Bill Moyers that most of Irish history can be found in the question, “Is this a private fight, or can anyone join?” But I outgrew this stage in my early twenties. By the time I became a father, though I was bigger and stronger than in my teens, I had stopped fighting in or out of the ring. And as a father, I taught my sons and daughters that is better to walk away from a fight, if possible.
Of course I taught them how to defend themselves if attacked. Malcolm X was correct in saying that sometimes, the best way to turn the other cheek is by breaking the other fellow's jaw. Now, Malcolm often used stark visuals to communicate symbolically. He knew how to call a cruel, violent bully's bluff. And that is what Trump is – a cruel violent bully. And his goading of the Democrats is a bluff. Nothing but a bluff.
I was talking with a close friend last night. We talk about “politics” on an almost daily basis. She said that she is feeling increasing frustrated by the pace of the Democrats in DC in terms of holding Trump accountable, and hopeless about her ability as an individual to have any influence on these events. Now, I understand this. Yes, I do. In fact, I think that is the same general fatigue that quite a few good people are experiencing. That's why it's good to take rests every so often, just the same as boxers do between rounds.
Do not get fatigued to where you are “burning out.” No, your mind can play tricks on you then. Your mind is more likely to process in-coming information incorrectly. It may be that you mistake Trump for a Teflon don. He isn't. In fact, he knows he is in trouble, and that is exactly why that shit stain on the American fabric is bluffing so loudly. Do not be fooled. Listen to George Harrison's “Beware of Darkness.”
In between rounds of boxing, I did three things: breathed deeply, listened to my coach, and determined what plan to execute in the next round. I was calm in knowing that I could set a pace that my opponent could not keep up with. Patience was key. When the right time came, the last thing he would hear would be my punches sizzling towards him …...and then the referee saying, “....8, 9, 10.”
We are approaching that point with Trump. Beatle George sang, “Beware of greedy leaders, they take you where you should not go.” And Trump was moving this country in that wrong direction. But America is uniting to bring itself in the right direction, and that includes plucking Trump from office. This includes the grass roots, the local Democratic Party headquarters, the state representatives, and our elected representatives in DC. More, it includes the thousand former federal prosecutors that signed the letter, and the federal judges who are deciding the cases where Trump seeks to further obstruct justice.
It's happening. Maybe not as quickly as some want, but it's happening. And it's happening far quicker than Trump wants, because it is at a pace where he cannot keep up.
Peace,
H2O Man
= new reply since forum marked as read
Thank you Sir ,
proud patriot 
