OPERATE OR RESIGN

  Those are the two choices open to Pope Francis, particularly following the resignation of Pope Bendict XVI before Francis's elevation to Pope, the leader of the Catholic world. He would rather undergo the continuous agony of knee pain, consigning him to a wheelchair, than operate, to relieve the pain, and continue his vastly important role in the world today. I think he is just tired, a tiredness only other world leaders can understand, as they too undergo much pain, if not physical, then mental and emotional, as they attempt to thread their respective countries path through ever growing, dangerous minefields.

The Pope has that option. Most people in the world do not have that choice, to resign, to escape, the burden of responsibility, the onus of it. They are in these various critical crises up to their necks, like it or not, admit it or not. We cannot resign from life unless we are willing to take that life away. Or cede the lives of so many others in this mad world of ours today. Even so, those wishing to escape reality, to the point of sacrificing others, will nevertheless find themselves enmeshed in the same troubles.

So here we are. Today, among the sane, there is a consensus that Trump is guilty of "seditious conspiracy", a crime for which others have already been sentenced regarding participation and planning of Jan. 6 and its disgraceful, ugly coup attempt. The question before everyone now is whether to charge Trump, to indict, put him on trial, convict and punish with a proper consequence. Most likely a long prison sentence is appropriate for his outrageous, treasonous decision to involve himself in the planning and carrying out of a massive plot to overturn this government, to cancel the Constitution, the entire process of law and order, to counter history, to spit in the face of all those who love their country, the United States of America, who value democracy and the hope it represents for a better future. 

Even so, there are those who have committed themselves, once again, even now, to the falsehood of Trump, accept the 'rightness and truth' of it all, legitimizing the pressure, the incitement for others to cheat, lie, maim, and kill. It must be the air or the water in Texas that allows for the massive population of deniers of reality, swearing to the truth of the Big Lie, denying the election and legality of Biden as president, backing a traitor on the highest level of the country, swearing to all that is wrong in this country of ours today, actually, for many years already. Abbott offers 'mental health' aid to Uvalde, even as he ironically needs heavy doses of therapy himself. I am not the only one who feels this way. There are many. 

The only way to be able to make at least a start in healing the great divide of this country is to air the truth, harsh, disillusioning, dangerous as it was and is, and do the right thing. We must delve deep into the nation's psyche, address it, and heal it rather than paper it over, allowing room for further rot and mold to grow, to poison our nation once again. To clean a pus-filled wound, one must bust it open, drain the wound and then heal it with appropriate attention and medicine. Any other path is futile.

"Leaving Trump unaccountable would be a dereliction of duty by ... the AG. There are risks in proceeding, but there are equal risks in letting Trump slide free yet again.

“I don’t think Trump would be shy about firing up his supporters again,” ... Either way, there may be no stopping Trump, but standing aside like the Republicans did during two impeachments should not be an option."

No organized pathway through this mess, even, especially, when compared to the most egregious past activity of Watergate. This was, continues to be, a massive attempt, a coup which came too close to success, while Watergate was less so, almost amateurish in retrospect, in its misdeeds. Even so, prison sentences were meted out, including for Nixon, though later pardoned by Ford in an attempt to heal the nation's wounds. Our wounds today are far past a pardoning of the instigator and his co-conspirators, of the unbelievable treason of the presumed leader of a country, of a sitting President.

Prosecuting Trump, his fellow traitors, is absolutely a risk worth taking. The option of resign or operate, choosing resignation, is not really a viable one. In fact, I believe the other choice, to operate, is the only way for us to convince the deaf, the blind, the unthinking, to understand the validity of Trump's disgrace, his crimes, the peril he imposed on and to the very existence of this nation, yours and mine. The understanding that we can never, ever, ever, allow for such a situation again. We are not a Third World nation whose governments change through violence and bloodshed. We can and are supposed to be better than that. We are meant to be a model for the world, a picture of "we can do it" national feeling, a country which emulates the principle of "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again". Not try to pull a coup, but try to better the world, our nation and all others. To live up to our burdens, our responsibilities. To examine, deep and long how we got here in the first place. What went wrong? Then, we need, must, address the causes and heal this grievously wounded nation, sick to its heart and soul.

Long ago, Alan Paton wrote a book called "Cry, the Beloved Country", regarding South Africa and the massive wrongness of it. We cannot allow for that to take permanent place here; else we face a bloody civil war such that will rival any that have gone on before. It will be the shredding of a world order, if not on the same level of Pax Romana, then at least an attempt to better the world, increase its chances of survival, in peace and harmony, with fairness to and for all. With respect for the humanity of all, with recognition of the rights of all Earth's inhabitants to a surety of food, shelter, education, and opportunity to raise oneself to a higher level, to provide for families and a better future for all.

Even as I despair, as I think of the almost hopeless task that is before us, I also hear the small, but powerful voice of Pollyanna, the eternal hope within for a better world. Maybe we are better than we appear to be, than we have been this past decade. Maybe. May it be so.

G-d bless us as we work through a manifestly, huge, overwhelming task - to rebuild, to ensure that we indeed do return to "One Nation, under G-d, Indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for All"

Folks, there is no viability for any other option. None. At all.