Conviction IS Compassionate
An open letter to Republican Senators and their constituents…
On the eve of the second impeachment trial
by: Bud Wilson February 7, 2021
If you love America, if you love Liberty, if you love Law and Order, if you love Justice, if you love Freedom, AND if you care about social stability, integrity, honesty, and decency; the most compassionate and loving thing you can do is vote to Convict Donald Trump.
CONVICTION: (noun) a firmly held belief or opinion / the quality of showing that one is firmly convinced of what one believes, says or does
I’d like to say: “Get Over Yourself” …interest! Transcend your party allegiance; befuddle your allies. Have courage to do the right thing while the whole world stands by, wondering if America and her elected representatives have lost their way.
Is the culture war between superficial “labels” of conservative or liberal, right or left, Republican or Democrat worth sacrificing the the entire “grand experiment of democracy”? For what? To protect one bad actor who has clearly abused his bully pulpit, carelessly spewing inflammatory rhetoric while denying reality by inciting a hate-filled, murderous insurrection with lies? Or, will your decision to acquit be driven by personal, selfish ambition and fear of alienating an angry “base”? Your choice to convict will clearly demonstrate a rare commodity: courage.
In these perilous times of turmoil and disruption it is time to reject the arrogance of cynicism. Self-righteous divisiveness is poison to the body politic. Even Mitch McConnel admitted there is a cancer within the Republican Party! We all have a choice to come into balance and harmony with natural law and restore our commitment to goodness, fairness, and generosity of spirit. As Senators, this is your opportunity to re-affirm the core values that we believe in and our human hearts know to be true.
To restore harmony in civil society leaders must examine their ideologies to discover the principles they value. Through personal responsibility and mutual respect, we connect with one another as human beings. It is from that ground of being that we demonstrate our allegiance to personal responsibility and accountability. This is what contributes to the wellbeing of the whole...the common good of a unified society. No one ever promised this would be an easy task. The struggle between idealism and practicality has been the source of contentious debate for eons. Our classical western heritage and the notion of liberty, inspired by the Enlightenment, does not excuse us from the constraints of virtue or community.
You might be wondering why Convicting Donald Trump is a compassionate action. Here’s why: accountability for our thoughts, our words and our deeds have consequences. Maturity of character requires this simple fact to be applied to oneself. Now is the time for soul searching and courageous, honest introspection. What do you see hiding in the shadows? Look in the mirror, with no distractions for a full five minutes. What do you see? Is it your selfish need to be re-elected?
Donald Trump, a person of extreme privilege, who has demonstrated a profound lack of introspection and a constant propensity to blame others, demonize his opponents and avoid any and all culpability, must be convicted if we are to preserve any decency that can weather this challenge to our system of governance. Your choice at the end of his impeachment trial is the critical turning point in Americas history. His pathological difficulty with truth and his life-long pattern of using the Law as something to manipulate and use for his personal gain and executive privilege will only be emboldened if you “exonerate and acquit him” for a second time! You know this is the raw, unequivocal truth. Do you seriously want to signal that future leaders, whether public or private, are untouchable by any standard of accountability? Is executive privilege and presidential power above the law? The public is sick of watching your political calculus separate you from reason and virtue.
You, Senators, with your VOTE to CONVICT can provide Donald Trump with a powerful gift: the lesson that just might assist his personal growth and liberation from his wretched pathologies. For the rest of us and future generations, your conviction will send a critical message to those who still believe in morality, ethics and the restoration of our souls, not to mention the preservation of our fragile democracy.
“Such is the irresistible nature of truth, that all it asks and all it wants is the liberty of appearing”. Thomas Paine
