My Head Is Full of Books: Sunday Salon: Will we survive this?

Sunday, January 10, 2021

Sunday Salon: Will we survive this?

Weather: It is lovely right now, cool and crisp with blue skies. I think that a rainstorm is in the forecast, however.

Family news:

Like you, our week was dominated by politics and chaos all week. We did have a visit from our grandsons who were given bear caps crocheted by their auntie. Aren't they cute?

I did read a few books or made progress on a few others. But I'll save my update for next week, hoping that nothing dramatic gets into my brain space in a dominating way like this week.

National News:

1. In light of the events of this week and the siege on Washington I wonder if our democracy will even survive the Trump era. But we must. We must. This speech by Arnold Schwarzenegger is a helpful place to start. We must put allegiance to the country over parties or a man. It is 7 minutes long, but worth the listen.

My message to my fellow Americans and friends around the world following this week's attack on the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/blOy35LWJ5
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) January 10, 2021

2. After the events on Wednesday, it is hard to remember the good news of the week---that on Tuesday the control of the Senate went to Democrats with the election of two men from Georgia: Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock. The Senate will now be in a 50/50 tie with the deciding vote falling to VP Harris, the presiding officer of the Senate. (Atlanta Magazine)

3. A few other pieces of 'good news' since the siege/attempted coup:

An ABC poll found that a majority of Americans want Trump removed before the inauguration. "

Sixty-seven percent of Americans lay blame squarely at Trump's feet for the Wednesday riot and the unprecedented breach that led to the death of five, including a Capitol police officer who succumbed to injuries suffered during the attack. This includes 52% who believe he shoulders a great deal of the responsibility. Only 15% of those polled say that he bears none of the blame." (ABC News)
Republicans are finally turning on Trump and on one another. Ben Sasse-R (NE) says he will consider voting for articles of impeachment (CNN). Lisa Murkowski-R (AK) says she may consider leaving the party if Trump isn't impeached (Slate). Pat Toomey-R (PA) calls for Trump's resignation (HuffPost). Newspapers in their own states wrote editorials stating their senators should resign or be censured for their role in supporting the insurrection attempt: Hawley (R-MO)-Kansas City Star; Cruz (R- TX)-Houston Chronicle; Johnson (R-WI)-Milwaukee JS. Three Republican governors call for Trump's resignation. (The Hill)
People at the riot on Wednesday are being identified and losing their jobs, including a newly-elected WV State Representative who was forced to resign. (CNN)
Conservative media outlets erupt with anger about the storm on Washington. "This is domestic terrorism." (FoxNews) Loyalty to Trump is disintegrating. "He screwed the country." (Politico) The chaos of Donald Trump finally has top Republicans turning their back on him. "POTUS fucked the party," a top adviser to Trump’s reelection campaign said Wednesday." (BuzzFeed) In a case of better-late-than-never Parler is getting kicked off Amazon's hosting site. (BuzzFeed)
The Wall Street Journal editorial board called for Trump to resign. “It is best for everyone, himself included, if he goes away quietly,” the editorial concluded.(WSJ)
At last people who didn't see this before could see what 'white privilege' looks like. White protestors broke into the capitol and very few were arrested. If the protestors had been black arrests and death would have abounded.
"The two scenes looked – and played out – differently. The pro-Trump supporters that descended on the Capitol were met with light resistance and it was hours before law enforcement regained control. A more aggressive, more militarized approach was used against social justice demonstrators last summer - comprised largely of people of color - who showed no threat of taking any federal building by storm. (NPR)

After the debacle in Washington, the Chief of Capitol Security resigned. A black woman, Yogalanda Pittman, has been named to be acting Chief. (dKos)
Adam Schiff's Midnight in Washington speech on the event of Trump's first impeachment, Feb. 3, 2020 should be long remembered and all those republicans who voted to acquit Trump with comments like "He learned his lesson" should feel the heat for ignoring his warning: (Midnight in Washington,)