The American body politic is in life-threatening peril from a virulent "bacterium" (theocratic fascism), and a pathological "parasite" (Trump). In order to survive, we must excise the parasite through the courts, and defeat the bacterial infection with a massive dose of voter turnout. Only a bold, concerted effort will save us.
I want to elaborate on one issue: Intent. People have said that we must prove Trump's criminal intent.
It is much easier to establish intent that most people realize.
To convict a person of a crime one needs to establish two things:
A) An "actus reus" or a criminal act.
AND
B) "Mens rea" or an intent to commit that criminal act.
However to establish "mens rea," or criminal intent, one need not really prove
what was in the Defendant's mind.
Rather we presume that one's intent was in sync with one's actions.
For example, to convict someone of bank robbery we don't have to hire mind readers to read the perpetrator's mind. Rather, if one robs a bank, we presume that one intended to rob a bank.
Obviously, we must give the prosecutor the right to presume that one's intentions are congruent with one's acts.
We have to do this because we don't have people, in the courts, who are presumed to be clairvoyant.
If we establish a criminal act, we are at liberty to presume criminal intent, and then DEFENDANT HAS THE BURDEN OF PROVING THAT HE HAD NO SUCH CRIMINAL INTENT, eg., he was on an acid trip or was psychotic.
Also, everything, in the aggregate, makes it absolutely obvious that Trump is guilty. Just think of some of the things that transpired. I will never forget Rudy's inflammatory and incendiary speech at the Jan 6 rally. He said, "Let's have trial by combat."
"TRIAL BY COMBAT"
What else do they think he was talking about. And Rudy's guilt is Trump's guilt as well because all members of a conspiracy are liable for all of the other actions made, by other members of the conspiracy, in furtherance of that conspiracy.
And think of Trump's request that the metal detectors be withdrawn; he was attempting to facilitate violence.
One other thing I might add:
I think these hearings, possibly (and I emphasize possibly because I am not sure), have been designed in such a way as to try to eradicate Trumpian fascism from the GOP. By calling many conservative republicans as witnesses, the committee, and in particular Lynne Cheney, might be attempting to force Republicans to wake up, grow up and overcome their fixation on primitive, authoritarian, fascistic modes of political action and thought.
Andy Biggs is my Rep in Congress. There hasn't been even one time that we have agreed on anything. Thank you for mentioning the Dec 21st meeting. I'm afraid it's going Io get lost with all the information out there. Everyone at that meeting needs to go, but especially Andy Biggs.
Please send mother-fucking, self-absorbed, autocratic, kleptocratic, totalitarian, treasonous, seditious, irredeemable, un-American false-god Napoleon Trump into deserved exile on the remote island of St. Helena - or better yet, the distant planet Uranus.
There's a loose end in the story of the unhinged meeting. - who was the anonymous "low-level staffer" who let the crazies in? It's been described almost as if someone left the cat door open. But the staffer must have been directed by Trump himself. It would be interesting to know more about that.
I have wondered the same about the "low level staffer." Clearly, nobody just "let's in" somebody to the White House unless instructed to. The Secret Service certainly would not allow random people into the complex to wander down to the Oval Office. It almost certainly had to be cleared from higher up--and probably that higher up was Trump himself.
An analogy:
The American body politic is in life-threatening peril from a virulent "bacterium" (theocratic fascism), and a pathological "parasite" (Trump). In order to survive, we must excise the parasite through the courts, and defeat the bacterial infection with a massive dose of voter turnout. Only a bold, concerted effort will save us.
I endorse and agree with all of your contentions.
I want to elaborate on one issue: Intent. People have said that we must prove Trump's criminal intent.
It is much easier to establish intent that most people realize.
To convict a person of a crime one needs to establish two things:
A) An "actus reus" or a criminal act.
AND
B) "Mens rea" or an intent to commit that criminal act.
However to establish "mens rea," or criminal intent, one need not really prove
what was in the Defendant's mind.
Rather we presume that one's intent was in sync with one's actions.
For example, to convict someone of bank robbery we don't have to hire mind readers to read the perpetrator's mind. Rather, if one robs a bank, we presume that one intended to rob a bank.
Obviously, we must give the prosecutor the right to presume that one's intentions are congruent with one's acts.
We have to do this because we don't have people, in the courts, who are presumed to be clairvoyant.
If we establish a criminal act, we are at liberty to presume criminal intent, and then DEFENDANT HAS THE BURDEN OF PROVING THAT HE HAD NO SUCH CRIMINAL INTENT, eg., he was on an acid trip or was psychotic.
Also, everything, in the aggregate, makes it absolutely obvious that Trump is guilty. Just think of some of the things that transpired. I will never forget Rudy's inflammatory and incendiary speech at the Jan 6 rally. He said, "Let's have trial by combat."
"TRIAL BY COMBAT"
What else do they think he was talking about. And Rudy's guilt is Trump's guilt as well because all members of a conspiracy are liable for all of the other actions made, by other members of the conspiracy, in furtherance of that conspiracy.
And think of Trump's request that the metal detectors be withdrawn; he was attempting to facilitate violence.
One other thing I might add:
I think these hearings, possibly (and I emphasize possibly because I am not sure), have been designed in such a way as to try to eradicate Trumpian fascism from the GOP. By calling many conservative republicans as witnesses, the committee, and in particular Lynne Cheney, might be attempting to force Republicans to wake up, grow up and overcome their fixation on primitive, authoritarian, fascistic modes of political action and thought.
Andy Biggs is my Rep in Congress. There hasn't been even one time that we have agreed on anything. Thank you for mentioning the Dec 21st meeting. I'm afraid it's going Io get lost with all the information out there. Everyone at that meeting needs to go, but especially Andy Biggs.
Dear AG Garland:
Please send mother-fucking, self-absorbed, autocratic, kleptocratic, totalitarian, treasonous, seditious, irredeemable, un-American false-god Napoleon Trump into deserved exile on the remote island of St. Helena - or better yet, the distant planet Uranus.
Many thanks, America
There's a loose end in the story of the unhinged meeting. - who was the anonymous "low-level staffer" who let the crazies in? It's been described almost as if someone left the cat door open. But the staffer must have been directed by Trump himself. It would be interesting to know more about that.
I have wondered the same about the "low level staffer." Clearly, nobody just "let's in" somebody to the White House unless instructed to. The Secret Service certainly would not allow random people into the complex to wander down to the Oval Office. It almost certainly had to be cleared from higher up--and probably that higher up was Trump himself.