We often think of cowardice in physical terms, i.e. running away from a fight. However, the term may be applied under a number of circumstances. For example, there is the moral kind. The kind that looks for excuses instead of accepting accountability and responsibility.
What we witnessed from the Republican party during the opening of former President Donald J. Trump's historic 2nd Impeachment trial is the perfect example.
Instead of dealing with the issue, i.e. that Mr. Trump's incendiary rhetoric was directly responsible for the January 6th assault on The Capitol, they choose to defend the former President by bloviating on the constitutionality of the whole procedure, i.e. he may indeed be guilty but we can let him off on a technicality.
In other words, they punted.
Their cowardice was on full display. Instead of owning up to the seditious behavior of the man they supported, through all of the lies, all of the bullying, they looked for an excuse to not deal with the reality of his guilt. They found it in Parliamentary Procedure: it's too late to Impeach a President who is not longer President.
The Republicans argued that the entire affair was politically motivated by an opposition whose only agenda was to dump Trump. In the meantime, they ignored the overwhelming amount of evidence presented, often in Mr. Trump's own words, that the former President's fiery rhetoric served as the inspiration for the whole affair.
With rare exception (I believe that 5 Republicans voted in favor of continuing the prosecution), rather that face the reality that Mr. Trump was indeed culpable, they found an excuse instead.
I'd say shame on them, all of them. But, you can't shame people who have no honor.
So true!
ReplyDeleteIndeed!
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