Particles of impeachment

First, let me say that the word “particles” is not a misprint or a spelling error.

It means “an amount of something,” but not as something that is covered by law, such as the set of charges against Trump that are called “articles.”

If there were “Particles of Impeachment” regarding Trump, there would be dozens, if not hundreds, of them.

As we know, the House has charged President Trump with two articles of impeachment. They are: Abuse of Power (infamous call to President Zelensky of Ukraine, asking him to “do me a favor though….”), and Obstruction of Congress (refusal to forward documents to the House Intelligence Committee, and directing all federal employees not to comply with subpoenas).

These charges are profound enough in their consequences that, if not confronted, can unravel the ideals and values of our democracy. There have been only four attempts to impeach a president: Johnson, Nixon, Clinton and now Trump. Only Johnson and Clinton were actually impeached, while Nixon resigned before a vote was taken.

Actually, the Constitution is burdened by a certain determination of the founders to frame an impeachment in legal terms, not in human terms. By “human terms” I mean the values and ideals that America has stood for, and fought for, over the years.

Certainly, President Trump has rejected many of these values. The problem is that these rejections are not illegal or even unlawful. It is not illegal to have sociopathic tendencies, to be narcissistic, to be a bully, to be unfaithful, to be immature, to be a pathological liar, to be prejudiced, to excessively need to be liked, to have disdain for the weak and immigrants, to undermine news you disagree with as “fake news,” to have a sense of one’s omnipotence as in “only I can do it,” to have messianic impulses as when he called himself “The chosen one,” to be a bigot, to denigrate instead of inspiring, to love chaos, to have McConnell on your side.

The list of “Particles,” not legal “Articles,” goes on: vilifying opponents, denying global warming, blaming others, firing those who disagree with you, governance by adolescent tweets, neglecting foreign policy, separating immigrant children from their parents, believing “alternative” facts, preoccupied with building a wall, being agitated over personal criticism, being duped by North Korea and Russia ….

It’s like trying to respond to a kind of insanity that is not concerned with any moral regard for humanity. In fact, he has manipulated his followers in so many ways that they now have a resistance to reason. For example: “I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot someone and not lose voters.” And, “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese…” One wonders if he is just trying to be amusing, or simply stupid.

As the world is churning about climate change, mass shootings, who’s who with atomic weapons, hundreds of thousands trying to find safety for their children, abuse of opioids, his abandonment of the Kurds in Syria …. President Trump is saying that it behooves the American people not to flush their toilet bowls so much. It’s kind of funny, but certainly not presidential, as so many other tweets are not.

In a week or two his trial will be held in the Senate where Chief Justice Roberts will preside, and the 100 senators will be the jurors. Speeches will be made and perhaps witnesses will be questioned, along with lots of hoopla. When this is over, the senators will meet in private where a twothirds majority vote is needed to convict the president.

It is certain that he will be acquitted by a Republican Senate. Whether acquitted or guilty is not as critical as the “particles” of his behavior. Hopefully, but not realistically, the trial might expose enough evidence of Trump’s wrongdoing that he will not be reelected in 2020.