Page 555 - Demo

Post-Pandemic549cans and Democrats had differing views, but worked together for the common good. Now, leaders such as Senators Mitt Romney and Liz Cheney were fringe figures with little influence, most other Republicans seemed to have lost their minds, and were only interested in pushing an agenda that benefited an ultra-conservative minority. The kinds of Republicans who were instrumental in getting President Nixon to resign no longer existed. Instead, the current batch was primarily interested in retaining power at any cost%u2014to the detriment of our democracy. Lynn and I read numerous articles and opinions by intelligent people (both Republican and Democrat) who bemoaned what was happening to our system of government, while pundits with opposing opinions were lessthan-intelligent, alarmist, and belligerent. In actuality, little of the turmoil was directly affecting our lives. But, with so much of the world deteriorating, it certainly affected us. There was such a pervading negative energy, that it could be overwhelming at times. While we knew we could quit reading the newspaper, or quit tuning into the TV news, it would be hard to ignore reality. Most of all, it was incredibly sad.By the time the election was over, we were on edge, we weren%u2019t sleeping well, and we worried about how he would damage the very structure of the government in ways that would take decades to heal. We were also concerned about how a second term would embolden ultra-right-wing, nationalist, racist, and neo-Nazi groups, and enable them to grow even more powerful%u2014especially if he pardoned the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. And how badly our system of jurisprudence would be damaged if he pardoned himself, and his many cronies who tried to overthrow the 2020 election. We worried that Trump would unleash partisan Justice Department officials on his political enemies and charge them with crimes real or imagined, and use the military to force his ideas of control over civilian populations. We worried that, as he had already demonstrated repeatedly, his belligerent, pugnacious, and contentious behavior would be directed to the conventional media, all Democrats, and anyone who doesn%u2019t believe as he did. Which would certainly empower other like-minded individuals to act in