Why is the 'grifter-in-chief' running free two years after failed overthrow? | Opinion
William DiMascio is a former AP Bureau chief for the state of Ohio, executive editor of the Cleveland Press and communications consultant. Now retired, he lives in Upper Arlington.
I simply cannot believe there is any right-thinking individual in this country who believes Donald Trump and his cronies should not be imprisoned.
Immediately.
As for these not-right-thinking individuals, they must be ignorant, corrupt, or too embarrassed to admit that they have hitched their wagons to a despicable team headed straight for hell.
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Almost as vile is this legal system with all its caveats that seem to advantage elites. This is a system that provides endless delays for specious appeals by well-heeled brigands, all the while handing down speedy convictions for the misconduct of the socially disadvantaged often called the “great unwashed."
See the months that have already passed between the conviction and sentencing of Steve Bannon versus the speed with which mostly Black inner-city denizens race from arrest to trial and prison cells.
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Do we deserve this?
Is this payback for America’s shortcomings; for what we did to the indigenous peoples we found here; for the tacit acceptance of the slave trade even as we marveled at our glorious humanitarian declarations?
Hypocrisy may not be our middle name, but it surely has been a security blanket we accept during trying times.
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It has been two years since the grifter-in-chief staged his failed attempt to overthrow the government: i.e., to destroy the grand experiment in American democracy.
Unfortunately for the con artist, he was prevented from marching to the Capitol during the chaos of Jan. 6, 2020, while being backed up by his faux force of armed degenerates.
The whole affair is beginning to smell like the impotent Robert Mueller investigation, which was blunted by some ridiculous “rule” of the Department of Justice that stymied prosecution until a mendacious attorney general dealt a mortal blow.
And now, some other Department of Justice “policy” precludes indictment because of the upcoming election.
Where is James Comey when you need him?
Furthermore, the clear, admitted theft of government property fiasco reinforces the belief that the old saw about “no one being above the law” is farcical.
The twice-impeached narcissist continues to use the legal system to parry the punishment he so richly deserves. And let’s not forget the legal precedent being established as long as this loser is not being held to account for his egregious conduct.
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In recent years, a growing number of Republican officeholders who found themselves at odds with Trump have left the political arena. Their actions were far from heroic. They clearly recognized the damage being imposed on our democracy and abandoned the fight when it was most needed. If politics has any redeeming value, it should show itself when the battle against tyranny is joined.
So far, Liz Cheney seems to have the stiffest spine. A modern-day Joan of Arc, she has sacrificed her career while committing herself to protecting Madisonian democracy from the band of fascist brothers who are hell-bent on destroying it.
Who else will rally to this cause?
William DiMascio is a former AP Bureau chief for the state of Ohio, executive editor of the Cleveland Press and communications consultant. Now retired, he lives in Upper Arlington.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: William DiMascio: Why isn't Donald Trump in prison?
