I really hate to say it, but my desire to keep following the impeachment proceedings has disappeared. I care, but I don’t care. What is making me apathetic towards these proceedings is because even if Donald Trump is impeached, it won’t be enough for me.
The key element of impeachment that many don’t fully understand is that impeachment doesn’t automatically mean he’ll be removed from office. Even if that were to happen by some sort of voodoo power, that wouldn’t even satisfy me. The only thing at this point that would satisfy me is if that man went to prison.
Trump’s standing in our society is textbook white privilege. If white privilege could be distinguished by smell, Donald Trump would probably have a huge cologne line dedicated to it produced from some country he would consider a “shithole.” One of the most pertinent components of white privilege is the absurd lack of accountability for pretty much anything, and Trump perfectly exemplifies this.
Trump has been accused by over 25 women of sexual assault. There’s strong evidence after Michael Cohen’s testimony that Trump illegally paid off a porn star to protect his campaign. There’s strong evidence to suggest that Trump colluded between Russia and his campaign. There’s strong evidence to suggest that Trump has committed tax fraud. There’s literal, actual, hardcore, we-saw-you-do-it-why-are-you-lying proof that he’s done things as petty as lying about a weather report, which, by the way, is a federal crime.
“But he wasn’t charged for it!” Many of my I-refuse-to-acknowledge-the-idea-of-privilege peers may argue in his defense. That’s exactly the point, fools.
No matter how much media has covered Trump’s “alleged” crimes, how much evidence has emerged, how much his close allies end up snitching on him, Trump has not truly had to answer to the unlawful actions he’s been accused of. He even has the ability to refuse to speak to Congress. No matter what’s been said or done to hold him accountable, at the end of the day, Trump has done whatever he wants with impunity. It’s literally like watching someone escape five stars in the Grand Theft Auto video game.
What infuriates me about the level of privilege Trump possesses is the hypocrisy of his immunity. There are so many black and brown people who are rotting in the human cages we call prisons because of petty crimes most likely driven from the oppression that’s been instituted by white wealthy racists like Trump. Even people of color who have the money and connections to fight their cases still get screwed. Yet Trump has been unlawful from the start and hasn’t so much as been handcuffed. What tickles me the most is that even if he is hypothetically prosecuted, he’ll inevitably get off either through his overpaid lawyers or a presidential pardon from whenever we’ll get another Republican president. Sigh.
Congressmen, both liberal, conservative and everything in between, need to huddle up. Conservatives refuse to take action against Trump? Expected at this point (but not respected). Get together behind the scenes and start discussing laws about new presidential requirements, the ability to remove a sitting president and prosecuting a president. Given that millions of lives are affected by the executive branch, the president should be held to an even higher standard of conduct than the average citizen. This benefits everyone, because Republicans would lose it if a Democratic president did half the things Trump has done, and they would not be able to stop it.
Congressmen, get together. Republicans, you all know deep down that Trump’s actions are wrong, and you wouldn’t justify his behavior if he were not Republican. The least you can do is pass some bipartisan law to make sure a different version of Trump, no matter what political affiliation, stay in office.
