Today Is The Last Time January 6 Was Less Than A Year Away [UPDATED]

Today is the last time we can say, it hasn't been a year yet since January 6.  Many people are criticizing Attorney General Merrick Garland because there haven't been any big names arrested or tried yet.  Garland spoke today on this, but I see people calling for action in addition to words.

Attorney General Merrick Garland vowed on Wednesday that the Justice Department would pursue its inquiry into the Capitol riot “at any level,” saying he would defend democratic institutions from attack and threats of violence. https://t.co/Ki1Jd1fCaK pic.twitter.com/AZZEr1KXm7

— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 5, 2022

My biggest concern is "as long as it takes" maybe longer than he'll be attorney general.

I wasn't alive when Pearl Harbor was attacked, but from my parents' account, it was one of those life changing days.  Before that Sunday, there was a strong anti-war movement, in part fueled by people who supported Hitler.

The country shut down for several days after John Kennedy was shot and people were glued to their televisions.  The commissions that studied the assassination seemed to last forever and it seems like the term 'conspiracy theory' came out of that experience. [It appears that that was, indeed the case.  My problem with the term is that there are, in fact, conspiracies.  But now the term itself applies "crackpot" or "delusional" even.]

9/11 was an even more shocking event.  As people began to realize the first plane into the World Trade Tower wasn't an accident.  And that there were more planes out there.  Air travel was shut down for several days.  It was quiet.  The only flights were high ranking Saudis that George W. Bush allowed to leave - even though 15 of the 19 plotters were Saudis.  And there were, as of Sept 11, 2021, still 39 prisoners still at Guantanamo.  

Here's from a 2010 Report on 9/11 from the New York University School of Law:

Main Conclusion:

Since 9/11, the Department of Justice’s understanding of terrorism cases has grown exponentially in terms of its patience in building a case, its understanding of the threats posed by terrorists, and its willingness to focus on terrorism and other serious charges. The early practice of making high-profile arrests, while prosecuting few terrorism charges – which brought into question the capacity of the DoJ to try terrorism-related crimes – has largely been addressed.

Other conclusions follow as well:

• The number of announced arrests has declined and the proportion of indictments and convictions has steadily grown.

• Most prosecutions of international terrorists involved no allegations of specific targets, and where specific targets were alleged, the targets were usually outside the U.S.

• The DoJ effected a successful strategy for convincing defendants to cooperate. Three notable examples of cooperators are Iyman Faris, whose cooperation may have ultimately led to six other high-level prosecutions; Mohammed Mansour Jabarah, who provided details on al Qaeda training camps and methods; and Bryant Neal Vinas, who reportedly began cooperating immediately upon arrest, providing information leading to overseas prosecutions and domestic alerts.

• Neither Miranda requirements nor the challenges of preserving classified information have proven to be insurmountable obstacles in terrorism cases. The rate of conviction, nearly nine in 10, compares favorably to those involving other serious charges.

This is all to put some perspective on how long these things have taken in the past.  

Right now there is a sense of urgency.  A belief that serious justice has to take place before next December when members of Congress are sworn in. Because 

• people fear Republican voter suppression and gerrymandering will make it hard for Democrats to keep Congress
• people fear Trump led challenges to the elections if Democrats win
• and with a new Congressional majority, the Congressional investigation will end
• and even though Biden has two more years after the 2022 election, a Republican Congress would attack whatever the attorney general does relentlessly

More than any time in my lifetime - and I've been around a while - our democracy is in serious danger. (Yes, people will tell you we already don't have a democracy.  But democracy isn't binary - it isn't either we do or don't have one.  It's a continuum from very democratic to not at all.)

This is the year that people who have sat back and let other folks get involved in politics will need to get out of their comfort zone and work to elect people who believe in democracy.  Germany did come back as a democracy after WWII, but a lot of people died before that happened.  

I hope I'm wrong.  I hope the family members of people who died of COVID will feel that Republicans betrayed them and wake up. I hope those who I hope that Trump's influence over Congressional Republicans weakens.  I hope those who stormed the Capitol a year ago tomorrow are sobered up by their trials.  I hope Congress passes a meaningful Voting Rights bill that overrides that many attempts to subvert our elections in November. 

But I'm not going to count on all that happening.  We've got a lot to lose.  More than most people imagine.  Things people take for granted.  But I've lived in non-democratic countries and I know how good we've had things and how bad it can get.  

So I beseech my readers to find ways they can become actively involved in making sure what we take for granted isn't snatched away.  

Some key areas where you can give money, time, and ideas include organizations that:

• Fight for fair elections
• Fight disinformation 
• Fight dismantling foundational institutions (Anchorage folks are seeing this happening first hand - libraries, health departments, universities, elections, etc.)
• Fight mob intimidation of elected officials and citizens

This list comes from an organization called Protect Democracy.  I don't know them personally, but the list (and I only picked some things) is right on the mark.

Readers:  let me know organizations in Anchorage, in Alaska, and nationwide that are fighting the good fight.  

You've got about ten months left to the November 2022 election.  Use every day as if someone were trying to take away your democracy.  Because someone is.  

[UPDATE:  I got some suggestions of organizations by email:

Postcards to Voters  

"Postcards to Voters are friendly, handwritten reminders from volunteers to targeted voters giving Democrats a winning edge in close, key races coast to coast."

Field Team 6

"STRATEGY

We meet people where they are – via phone, text, postcard, social media, and soon at in-person, Covid-safe voter drives! 

 

Armed with Voterizer.org, the only custom-built app just for registering Democrats, we track down every good-hearted eligible voter we can, and get them on the voter rolls where they belong. And sign them up to vote from home!"

Chop Wood, Carry Water  - This one has daily reminders of things to do to support democracy.

UnFox My Cable Box

"Pay for cable or satellite TV? You’re subsidizing Fox News whether you watch it or not.

Your cable or satellite TV provider pays a subscriber fee to carry Fox News. That cost is passed directly on to YOU.

Every network charges cable and satellite providers a small fee per subscriber; the one for Fox News is extraordinarily high. A typical household pays Fox News almost $2 per month—about $20 per year— via their cable or satellite provider, regardless of whether they actually watch the channel.

In 2021, a wave of big contracts between Fox News and TV providers for subscriber fees are set to expire. These contracts make up about 65% if Fox News’ subscriber fee revenue. If we want to stop paying the Fox News “tax,” now is the time to act."

It says new contracts in 2021, but if you do get cable and pay for FOX even if you don't watch it, you should read this.  

 

Swing Left

"Find ways to make a real impact on the elections that determine the balance of power in our country."]