Trump’s silence not golden

We should be alarmed the Department of Homeland Security issued a national terrorism bulletin warning of the lingering potential for violence from people motivated by anti-government sentiment after Joe Biden’s election. It suggests the riot by a mob of Donald Trump supporters at the US Capitol January 6 has set the stage for additional attacks. The threat will likely “persist for weeks”.

There’s a cruel irony in this new threat. Trump’s words and deeds in support of his overt attempt to overthrow his duly elected replacement led to the January 6 Capitol insurrection that got 5 killed, hundreds injured and infected a slew of covid victims. Now the threat is his silence; never once admitting he fairly lost, the election was not stolen and that the entire violent saga was made up. He can’t even utter the words “Job Biden won”.

That’s good enough for over 50 million of his 75 million voters to continue the delusion his reelection was stolen. And some thousands of them, like the ravenous mob January 6, are still bent on murder and mayhem.

Trump’s silence has paralyzed most Senate Republicans from supporting impeachment. Without a word from The Donald that he fairly lost, hammering in the final nail of impeachment, banishing him from the world stage he’s dishonored in blood, is a non-starter. They’re afraid the 50 million plus Trump coup supporters will banish them from office should they vote to impeach. More ominously, they’re afraid the most delusional of that Republican Trump base, will target them for death, like they did Mile Pence.

Trump’s silence is not golden…it’s deadly.

Kinzinger simply a Trump Republican without the lying, name calling, sedition

Illinois 16th District Congressman Adam Kinzinger has become the face of the miniscule Republican pushback against Trump neo fascism and white nationalist fanaticism that has hijacked the Republican Party.

He released a passionate video calling for the expulsion from the GOP of QAnon, white nationalists and other right wing fringe groups that GOP leaders refuse to purge from the GOP’s Big Bigoted Tent.

Kinzinger is a smart, quietly charismatic Iraq war vet who called out the potential for violence in the Capitol in the weeks leading up to the Trump insurrection.

If he survives the extremist purge of him and his 9 Republican House members who voted impeachment, he’s touted to run for Illinois governor in ’22; maybe even for prez in ’24.

But examining his political philosophy is a non-starter for higher office regardless of his principled opposition to neo fascism and QAnon lunacy.

He voted to abolish the Affordable Health Care Act, even tho it provided some health care relief to 20 million shut out of the best health care available.

He parroted Trump’s disgusting ‘China Virus’ meme to deflect attention from Trump’s utter failure to control; indeed even acknowledge the pandemic.

He voted against the Equality Act passed in the House (tho tabled in McConnell’s Senate) granting full economic and political equality to the LGBTQ community.

Kinzinger wants to cut the debt and have America spend responsibly just like John Q. Public. Never mind he voted for Trump’s Billionaire Class tax cut in 2017 that will add $2.3 trillion to the deficit now exploding under pandemic economic urgency.

Kinzinger favors expanding concealed carry to its movement across state lines.

He signed the Americans for Prosperity Pledge in 2010 promising to vote against any global warming legislation that might raise taxes.

He opposes late term abortion, the use of federal funds for abortion, or health coverage that funds abortion.

But his pro lives bonafides didn’t dissuade him from cheering Trump’s criminal assassination of top Iranian General Qasem Soleimani (and 9 others) in a dastardly crime that led to a hundred wounded GI’s from Iranian retaliation, and nearly an all-out war with Iran.

Oh yes. Kinzinger loves criminal U.S. wars, the Iraq version he proudly fought in. He touts them as promoting democracy around the world. Kinzinger’s version of democracy building has killed hundreds of thousands and sent millions fleeing his version of U.S. freedom.

We should all wish Kinzinger well in his effort to purge the traitors and the crazies from the GOP. But we should be weary of ever giving higher office to an otherwise bright person totally out of touch with the critical issues of 2021 America.

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Illinois should follow Oregon to decriminalize hard drugs

Illinois waited for 10 other states to legalize recreational cannabis before doing so in 2019. Now with a hundred million annual cannabis tax dollars resuscitating Illinois’ pandemic ravaged economy, sensible Illinoisans are pondering ‘What took ya so long?’

But Illinois can snare second place for decriminalizing hard drugs, following the progressive state of Oregon, which implemented its humane policy yesterday. Coppers can no longer arrest folks for possessing small amounts of heroin, meth, LSD and oxycodone. Offenders just get a non life/career threatening $100 ticket, or better yet, a health assessment leading to addiction counseling.

Oregon will use some of the $133 million (and growing) in annual taxes it receives from recreational weed to fund the new counseling services.

Decriminalizing minor possession of hard drugs will not bring in a gold rush of new taxes that legalizing recreational pot did. But it will reduce cost and clog to our already overburdened criminal court system. It will also, no doubt, reduce the number of poor souls relegated to a downward life spiral from current inhumane legal treatment by providing proper medical treatment instead.

If Illinois tries harder….it can be No. 2.