Clearly America is divided into two major factions. For the sake of argument, I suggest that one faction is represented by common school yard bullies; and then you have the rest of us. Fortunately, the bullies are extremely outnumbered in this case. Therefore, it is incumbent upon all rational adults to stand up and demand accountability. Bullies need to be told “no.” It’s just that simple. Take Donald Trump for example. He was told “no” when he lost the election. Like the child that he is, Trump threw a tantrum and called upon his bully friends to join him. Steve Bannon, along with Trump, are a couple of spoiled children who are accustomed to getting their way.
I’m just a regular guy. I’m not a political analyst by any stretch of the imagine, and truth be told, I don’t really know how Congress works. I do however have a talent for reading people. I do know injustice when I encounter it. Moreover, I can pick out a sexist, racist narcissistic dog from a mile away. I can proclaim this with great confidence because I myself am a recovering entitled narcissist. It takes one to know one. Steve Bannon is a bully, just like his pal Donald Trump. On January 5th of this year Steve Bannon went on air in an effort to stoke the fires of dissent. During this broadcast, Bannon encouraged his rabble to assemble at the United States Capital in order to propagate chaos. “All hell is going to break loose,” was how he put it. The rest is history.
There is only one way to deal with bullies and that is for the adults to set healthy boundaries. In this case, the adults are the January 6th committee. Steve Bannon’s decision to disobey a lawful subpoena was a childish act. Like Donald Trump, Bannon believes that he is above the law. Maybe he is? If bullies are not held accountable for their actions, they will continue with their mean spiritedness. I have to admit that I am plagued with doubt as I slowly lose confidence in our government. I’m not alone in this regard. It’s as if a collective feeling of impending doom is settling upon the American landscape. Granted, the January 6th committee acted swiftly in pursuit of criminal contempt charges pertaining to Bannon’s cavalier attitude. At this time the baton is being passed onto the House of Representatives who will vote on Thursday. Assuming that the House votes to proceed, the baton will once again be handed off. If things go as planned, the responsibility to convict will be placed squarely at the feet of the United States Department of Justice. Will justice prevail? One can only hope. Rumors abound that Garland is soft for whatever reason. Will Merrick Garland follow through, or will he cave? Garland, as a rational adult, needs to step up and grow a spine. From my vantage point, it appears that it all comes down to the Attorney General. If the Justice Department fails to pursue immediate jail time for Bannon, our Democracy will be in great peril.
Sometimes I wonder if the Republic will survive this. After all, it has been nearly one year since the atrocious acts were carried out, and I have yet to see enough accountability. It was sedition, pure and simple, and America now finds herself at a frightening crossroad. The fate of the entire free world is at stake, and that’s not hyperbole. If Trump and Bannon get away with treason, it will be very disappointing. Granted there have been numerous prosecutions targeting the rioters, but my question is are we going to cut off the head of the snake or not? If we only go after the foot soldiers then the instigators are not only emboldened, but they will continue with their bullying tactics. Nobody likes a bully. Perhaps this is why we tend to turn a blind eye when bullies act out? As a nation we must set an example. We must kill this snake because it is slowly eating us alive! As a nation, we must agree that Bannon’s behavior is not okay. If not, a dire precedent will have been established. Steve Bannon willfully ignored a lawful subpoena, and he needs to be in jail. The January 6th committee needs to drop the hammer on Steve Bannon, and they need to do it yesterday. Like Trump, Steve Bannon is an insurrectionist. We cannot let this stand! Bannon must be brought to Justice. If Bannon and his bullies get away with this, then America surely deserves to go quietly into that good night. There is a lot riding on this, and It’s now or never! Justice must prevail or our nation is surely doomed. An insurrection took place on January 6th and that is not okay. If gone unchecked, History will certainly mark this period in time as the moment when America finally died.
I’m a 55 year old white male, a father, a writer, and a recovering narcissist.
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