A personal journey towards Impeachment

When this national nightmare began on 11/9/16, I guess I always knew at some point, we'd have to discuss impeachment. We already had enough information to assume that somewhere along the line, the country would rise up like a sleeping dog and shake off these bloodsucking ticks. What I didn't expect was the rapidity at which our institutions and norms would be torn down from within and the scope of the incompetence and corruption of the administration. The daily and persistent infractions and outright crimes kept me off balance with panic and so many unanswered questions left over from the campaign. I tried to keep up, I really did: there were protests and actions to organize, meetings to inform and energize people, calls and letters to write to deaf ears in this super red district, larger movements to ally with. It was exhausting as everyone involved in the resistance well knows. I stopped being able to sleep past 3AM for weeks.  I got sick, had to take a month off. Then, I came back into the fray with a more global perspective. I had to pull back and assess where to put my limited energy and talent. I decided to limit cable news exposure, listen to podcasts from smart people I trusted (and some who I didn't but needed to hear that "other side") and read books. Lots of books: fiction when my brain needed a rest, non-fiction from respected authors. My mind is clearer and I'm sleeping fine.

Okay, so now the Mueller Report is out, telling us little we didn't already know. For two years, the Democratic leadership put down any talk of impeachment. Then we all worked our asses off and the Blue Wave happened and something flipped. AOC called out the establishment simply and eloquently Omar told the truth about AIPAC albeit in language not precise enough to avoid the whines of the establishment snowflakes. (Wait, you thought we were the snowflakes? Newsflash: when people label YOU, they're pre-empting any assessment of their behavior). Our candidates for 2020 are speaking truth to power with real policy proposals behind highly progressive and realistic ideas. That word, impeachment, gets used more and more everyday so I think it behooves each of us to examine our feelings and motives about our own and Congress's next move.

We all worked so hard to win the House, did we want to risk the 2020 election by overreaching? Some of us worried about the MAGAs getting violent and the possibility of civil war, encouraged by irresponsible rhetoric from a never ending stream of provocative craziness. Some of us just didn't think we'd get anywhere because the Senate would not convict. And incredibly, we heard that "it wasn't worth it" from the fucking leadership of the House. That was my turning point.

We have normalized a compliant Congress to the point where the country doesn't expect anything anymore from government. I was getting Medicaid Expansion petitions signed yesterday at the library. A young white guy of voting age walked by and my first question is usually, "Are you a registered FL voter?" because we have so many visitors here. He kept walking, telling me no, and that he didn't care. I told him he just broke my heart but he kept walking. Lesson learned.

We must impeach. Pick a couple of the 10 or so statements from the Mueller report and get busy calling your deaf and clueless members of Congress. They have staff. Of course they don't want to hear from you on this issue. Of course they'll think MoveOn or Indivisible organized massive call ins. So what? The Congress has a constitutional duty to pursue these charges and frankly, if they can't walk and chew gum at the same time, maybe it's time to retire? 

And pace yourself. After we get our government back, the real work begins to rebuild our institutions to serve us and backstop corruption and self dealing among our politicians. Don't get me started about Citizens United. We fight for the progressive policies we're just hearing about now. We stay rested, calm, determined and informed. We stick together and care for each other. 

And seriously, FBI? Enjoy this love while you can because we all remember a time decades ago when you were NOT on the side of the people and you know what? That's gonna change too.