“Do you solemnly swear that in all things appertaining to the trial of the impeachment of Donald John Trump, president of the United States, now pending, you will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws, so help you God?” (Oath taken by all Senators). The Hill
Forgiveness — and Subsequent Healing — Demand Accountability
I’m getting asked about whether it is important to convict Trump for “inciting an insurrection” according to the House’s Article of Impeachment.
The short answer is yes. This surprises some people who, I think, expect me to say something about forgiveness being more important than accountability. However, accountability starts the forgiveness process.
Consequently, forgiveness requires the following:
- We need to name the sin or offense first
- Confession often follows naming the sin
- The penitent proclaims a contrite heart — being sorry for committing the transgression
- The penitent is then given a penance, a means of rectifying the wrong if possible, and to wrestle spiritually with the ramifications
- Finally, the penitent is absolved of the sin
- Healing can begin. Even with this process, healing can be very difficult and take a lot of time.
Without a confession, as in the case with Trump, healing can be greatly stymied or blocked altogether. Ideally, where no confession has been made, a vehicle to assess accountability by a third part becomes necessary, as with a jury trial.
Healing cannot fully occur when those responsible refuse to be accountable or elude responsibility.
No one is above the law
Most of us know deep down that Trump will not admit to his outrageous wrong. He actually believes he had every right to call for an overthrow of our democracy. Trump could not come to terms with the fact that more voters wanted him to lose office than wanted him to win (by almost 8 million votes). He simply is not capable of admitting responsibility for inciting the anarchy of January 6, 2021.
As problematical is the fact that Trump believes that what he does should not be regulated by the constraints of the US Constitution. This amounts to a colossal problem for American democracy. The framers clearly understood that no one is above the law.
Is a trial a waste of time and money?
Assuming this cowardly minion of GOP senators fails to convict Trump, is the Senate trial a waste of time? No. The trial is not a waste of time. Here’s why.
I encourage you to write to your senators using your arguments and these arguments listed below. Modify the points provided and put them in your own words to make them more effective. Email is the best way to contact your senators because time is of the essence. Click here to find out where all of the senators stand on the issue of impeachment.
- The trial will provide a space where we as a nation can review the evidence for the common good of the American people. We each will have an opportunity to weigh the evidence and assess its credibility regardless of whether we are official jurors or not.
Benefit: Each person can individually determine Trump’s guilt or innocence apart from what the Senate decides. - Each and every time the US Constitution is cited, referred to or interpreted, we strengthen our democracy. We keep our democracy strong and on track by engaging with the constitution whenever possible. In other words, we stay in our “lane of democracy” and our “constitutional guard rails” protect us and the republic.
Benefit: The constitution, the people, and its government are strengthened against insurrection. - Trump’s trial forces his legal team to deny responsibility or admit it. This forced choice is a victory for the American people. We know what we saw that awful day, and if Trump accepts responsibility, democracy prevails. If Trump’s team tries to escape responsibility or to further his position with more false information, democracy prevails. Trump has put himself between a rock and a hard place. We have the opportunity to apply enough pressure to get to the truth. As a nation, we need some major truth-telling, and one way or another, we will get it.
Benefit: Trump’s responsibility becomes officially unquestionable regardless of whether he admits it. - The framers of the constitution intended for the Senate to be the final arbiter of “all impeachments.” They did not exclude impeachments occurring after the accused has left office. We have case precedent where a federal officer, the Secretary of War (Civil War era), was not only tried and found responsible, but he was also impeached after leaving office. The GOP senators are making the cowardly argument that this trial is unconstitutional because Trump is out of office. However, the House rightly impeached Trump while still in office. Further, the Senate has exclusive power through the US Constitution to consider this case of “first impression” — a new issue. There is very likely no appeal to the US Supreme Court. We don’t need an appeal given the very high bar established to reach a conviction (House simple majority of 218+ votes to impeach, and 67/100 supermajority of Senate to convict.) Therefore, the Senate is duty-bound to determine it is proper to convict a former president for wrongs committed while in office. Otherwise, the Senate will give all future presidents a “free pass” to do whatever they want near the end of their term. Rep. Raskin, chief House Manager prosecuting Trump calls this the “January Exception.” He is absolutely correct.
Benefit: Convicting Trump sets a new precedent to prohibit a “January exception” for an outgoing president to wreak havoc without accountability.
True Democracy is also a Christian Value
As a priest, a Christian clergywoman, I have a vested interest in our democracy, whose ideals seek to establish justice and dignity for every human being. I have this objective because as Christians, we believe God has created each person in God’s image.
Our system of government has major flaws, to be sure. However, we have systems in place that allow us to resolve those problems. The judiciary and legislative branches at both the state and federal levels allow the citizenry to demand the legislatures enact fair laws and to seek redress for injustice in the courts. We have evidence that these systems respond to movements for change: The abolition of slavery and enacting equal protection, women’s suffrage, the civil rights movement, the voting rights act, and LGBTQ equality.
If the coup had succeeded, we would be in a much darker place, and those on the margins and in the movements listed above would live in even greater states of fear and ostracization. The very future of our beloved constitution and republic would be in great jeopardy. “We the People” would be in grave danger.
Contact your 2 senators and those in the moveable middle!
Email your senators even if they will vote to convict because they deserve our support and confidence that this is the moral thing —the right thing — to do.
Write emails to the undecided senators especially. They are open to rejecting the party line to do the right thing. Help them with your respectful communication about why you support a conviction.
We have everything to lose–our democracy–by staying silent in such a time as this.
Blessings+ on your journey.
