It was never going to be a peaceful voyage into the sunset for Trump’s Presidential term. The fireworks have started (if they ever stopped) and with less than a week until Biden’s inauguration, the chaos is set to continue.

Yesterday, the US House of Representatives impeached Donald Trump after finding him responsible for inciting the deadly riot at the Capitol last week. It comes after Trump was impeached in 2019 over allegations he had improperly pressured his Ukrainian counterpart to investigate his then-rival, now President-elect, Joe Biden.

Impeachment is laid out in the US Constitution and occurs when a President commits treason, bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanours. Usually, the House then votes on whether to impeach, followed by a trial in the Senate. The Senate trial will occur when Trump is out of office but may take several weeks or months before it concludes as Biden will be asking the Senate to vote on his Cabinet nominees and undoubtedly act on legislation to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, it will take 17 Republicans voting with Democrats to reach a two-thirds majority and convict Trump.

Ultimately, this impeachment case isn’t crucial and could be a significant distraction as Biden tries to re-build America and begin his term as President. However, there are two critical issues for Trump, even though he won’t be President when the trial takes place. Firstly, a conviction could mean that he can’t run for office again in 2024, which seems like a possibility considering his support by the Republican party and supporters. Secondly, and most controversially, it could impact his ability to pardon himself. In the American Constitution, presidents have the power to grant reprieves or pardons for offences and Trump is widely thought to be considering a self-pardon, to inoculate himself from future legal proceedings relating to his time running and in office.

Those are the two consequences for Trump if he is convicted, which is far from a certainty. This process will now continue in the Senate, and we will keep talking about Trump for weeks, months, and probably years after his time as President expires. However, we won’t be able to hear as much from Trump himself.

Twitter decided to permanently ban Trump from its platform due to the risk of further incitement of violence. Trump had been warned for months over tweets containing incorrect statistics and information and his latest stream of tweets urging his supporters to “stop the steal”, “fight much harder” and “if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore”. These tweets were the last straw for Twitter in what has been a constant battle between the two sides since the election campaign began early last year.

For now, I look forward to the inauguration of Biden and seek to block out Trump in whatever way I can. The world isn’t going to change on the 20th of January, but the handover will be conclusive. Joe Biden will be President, and all the responsibility rests on his shoulders. His words and actions in the first month of his Presidency will make or break his term and make or break America.

Who knows what the last week of the Trump Presidency will look like? But at this point, I don’t think anything will surprise me.

89 thoughts on “Trump Impeached…Again”

  2. I am very impressed, Sim! I caught your comment on Rudy’s blog and my curiosity lead me here. You can’t be all bad.. I am from Chicago.. as is Rudy as I recall, and I noticed the Cubs logo on your sports interests. 🙂
    I see my buddy from Beetley, Pete follows you as well. You’re a pretty perceptive young man. I read your posts on America.. you have a healthy curiosity.
    Well, you’re about to witness, albeit from afar, American growing pains. Next week is likely not going to be pretty as it relates to our political divide. You wrote in the past about our preoccupation with guns. That is likely to manifest itself profoundly next week as well. Sad to think that some Americans living today will not be by the end of next week.. and it’s not due to Covid.

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    1. Hi Doug! Thank you very much for your comment! Yes, I have some close family friends in Chicago and received some cubs merchandise when I was younger so decided that would be the franchise I would support in the MLB! Thank you very much for your kinds words. I’m always seeking to learn more and consider different perspectives from what I’m fed from the mainstream media. Blogging has certainly given me an amazing opportunity to listen to people from around the world, including yourself! Yes, it looks like the next week will not be a peaceful process and even weeks and months to come. Do you think this is something that Biden can fix in the short-term? In his 4 years? Or is this a generational issue that may take even longer?

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      1. Excellent questions. Biden is going to be focused on the Covid and the vaccine distribution.. both of which Trump mammothly messed up. That’s killing Americans at a tragic rate, and completely tying up our health system to the point where normal health care is in jeopardy. Whether or not Biden himself can “fix” anything relating to the insurgency is yet to be seen and I highly expect much of it will be determined as to how much of this dissent spills on past the inauguration, and the passage of time itself. To the first item just mentioned, I have little issue that Biden isn’t capable of “trying” to contain all this.. and even meet some level of the challenge of moderating our political divide, but that will take time, and we have no idea if world events will play a role in any of this domestic stuff. Again, no way to even presume Biden can alter much of the domestic political divide in just 4 years with everything on his table.

        As for the generational issue.. you are very wise. Generally speaking things like this in history to tend to have some generational effect. For example.. there are a fair number of Baby Boomers reflected in all this Trumpian support… which then tends to assign to this demographic a measure of wanting to be back “in the good old days”.. which means some element of white entitlement/domination of politics and culture in general. I know.. as I am a Boomer.. but not a Trump supporter. I am familiar with the frustration and exasperation of my generation. Boomers are also a large segment in the Covid suffering. As Boomers continue to age and then die off, this effect will lessen. As a demographic, there’s also a fair number of Millenials… holding quite possibly the majority… well into the 50’s. The younger ones were/are very likely ex-military with multiple tours in the Mid East countries… and it’s not uncommon for ex-military to look back fondly on their experiences when they were likely far more appreciated, respected, and held greater responsibility than civilian life has offered them.

        Which now brings us to the seemingly primary reason for all this.. a disenfranchised middle class who has watched others get more money and success.. and as a result assumed some level of social achievement as leaders in politics, science, education, yada, yada. They tend to look at those living on the two coasts as elites in control of their lives simply because they are part of the perceived “uneducated” heartland.

        Very complicated as you can see. No easy answer at all. As an Australian it might be of some value to examine your own current culture, social, and political public perspectives to see if there might be some “forgotten” demographic you need to address now.

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      2. You’ve given me much to ponder and consider Doug, so thank you very much for that!

        I think overcoming the pandemic will be the first and most important challenge for Biden. If he can successfully limit the damage caused and return America to ‘normality’ he will begin to gain some supporters and I think it will make the rest of his term more successful. However, a failure to control the pandemic, and it leads to a painful, divided and short 4-year term for Biden.

        Your comments on the older ‘boomer’ generation is very interesting. I wonder if Australia’s outbreak of COVID-19 was worse, if we in Australia would also realise a similar belief. In 2019, Australians voted in a conservative leader after every single poll predicted that the progressive leader would win the election. This wasn’t the case, and it was due to the older generation wanting to
        ‘prioritise’ the economy. The world is certainly going through a conservative political period, like in the UK with Boris Johnson aswell, and it all started with Trump. Now with Trump gone, I wonder if that will also flip other governments around the world.

        Yes, that certainly seems what it comes down to. In Australia, our Aboriginal communities have been forgotten for a long time, and the path to equality has been long and continues to only increase by baby steps. I don’t know if you know much about Australia’s ‘stolen generation’, but we are still working through the problems that this policy caused half a decade ago. Lots to do, but we must start moving. The task might seem large, but refusing to do anything because it seems impossible, just isn’t good enough.

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      3. You should truly consider running for public office, Sim. Take a local position and complete your college… then go big. You seem to have a good head on your shoulders and I don’t mean that necessarily because your slant is not for Trump.. what I mean… whether here or in Australia, there’s young folks like you that are gonna have to pull the rest through in another 10-20 years.

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      4. You are very kind and encouraging Doug, it’s a great motivation to me and I deeply appreciate it 🙂 It is certainly an area I would love to become more involved in in the next few years and see where it takes me. Politics is a tricky sphere to make a real difference, but I hope I can find an opportunity where I can.

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  3. There is so much disinformation – on both sides. The thing is, we have a constitution here, which gives us certain unalienable rights, which includes the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That includes ALL Americans, not just right or left. The ownership of guns is a big concern for many Americans. Not just for hunting, but to be able to rise up against a tyrannical government. What is going on now is tyranny.
    If Biden won the election fairly, we’d accept it. But he didn’t…there is mountains of proof, plus now outside interference. The main stream media isn’t talking about this. The Democrats are scared to death of another four years of Trump, which is why you see chaos going on.
    I will leave it at that.

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      1. “When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.” There are millions of legal gun owners here in the US, they’re not the problem. I’d much rather be able to defend my property and my family, with a gun if necessary than have to depend on the police to defend me. By the time the police arrive, I could have been raped, violated or dead. So, it’s not the gun that kills people, people kill people. And honestly, I could kill someone with a baseball bat. What are they gonna do, ban baseball bats?
        The only bad gun is one in the hands of the wrong people.

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      2. There’s apparently a lot of “wrong” people.. last week at the Capitol.. and this coming week if all the threats are real. Already.. the first guy to be challenged at a checkpoint going into the “green zone” had fake credentials, a Glock.. and 50 rounds with him. Embrace the horror.

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      3. Those people that stormed the capitol were antifa. It’s gonna get bumpy the next few days…don’t be surprised if it comes out that anyone being arrested are antifa or BLM.

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      4. If you say so. Yet here’s an interesting thought… if the people fomenting the violence at the Capitol, last week and “likely” this week, are Antifa/BLM.. would not the patriotic thing be for all Trump supporters to grab their guns to protect the Capitol(s)? After all, no one is more patriotic than a Trumpster, am I I correct?

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      5. Great thoughts Doug, completely agree. Seems very un-patriotic and un-nationalistic to be storming the Capitol and destroying American history and the American democratic process.

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      6. They weren’t. The images examined show that there is no evidence the individuals in the pictures are linked to the Antifa movement. And there was nothing related to BLM so I’m confused as to why you think that is relevant in the next week? The claims that you present are incredibly dangerous so I would recommend presenting them with evidence.

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      8. I spend most of my days researching and looking into these issues from as many perspectives and viewpoints as possible. I avoid mainstream media as much as humanly possible. I’d love to hear or see any evidence from you to support the claims you are making.

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      9. We find these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
        The last time I checked, the trigger has to be pulled for a gun to go off. So yeah, guns don’t kill people, people kill people. Sadly, yes, accidents happen. But those accidents are far less common than gangs killing.
        That’s all I have to say…if you want to know where I’m coming from I suggest you listen to Dan Bongino, NewsMax, Lou Dobbs, Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, just to name a few.
        Take care

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      11. A message from Newt Gigrich…
        Newt Gingrich penned a description of the anger – and even fear – that is being felt by 75 million conservative American citizens. He says what I believe. And the vast majority of liberals seem to care not a whit. If we don’t begin listening to one another, caring for one another, and standing down from our battle mode, our country may soon become unrecognizable. The center will not hold.

        “A smart friend of mine who is a moderate liberal asked why I was not recognizing Joe Biden’s victory.

        The friend made the case that Biden had gotten more votes, and historically we recognize the person with the most votes. Normally, we accept the outcome of elections just as we accept the outcomes of sporting events.

        So, my friend asked why was 2020 different?

        Having spent more than four years watching the left resist President Donald Trump and focus entirely on undoing and undermining the 2016 election, it took me several days to understand the depth of my own feelings.

        As I thought about it, I realized my anger and fear were not narrowly focused on votes. My unwillingness to relax and accept that the election was over grew out of a level of outrage and alienation unlike anything I had experienced in more than 60 years involvement in public affairs.

        The challenge is that I – and other conservatives – are not disagreeing with the left within a commonly understood world. We live in alternative worlds.

        The left’s world is mostly the established world of the forces who have been dominant for most of my life.

        My world is the populist rebellion which believes we are being destroyed, our liberties are being cancelled, and our religions are under assault. (Note the new Human Rights Campaign to decertify any religious school which does not accept secular sexual values – and that many Democrat governors have kept casinos open while closing churches though the COVID-19 pandemic.) We also believe other Democrat-led COVID-19 policies have enriched the wealthy while crushing middle class small business owners (some 160,000 restaurants may close).

        In this context, let’s talk first about the recent past and the presidency.

        In 2016, I supported an outsider candidate, who was rough around the edges and in the Andrew Jackson school of controversial assaults on the old order. When my candidate won, it was blamed on the Russians. We now know (four years later) Hillary Clinton’s own team financed the total lie that fueled this attack. Members of the FBI twice engaged in criminal acts to help it along – once in avoiding prosecution of someone who had deleted 33,000 emails and had a subordinate use a hammer to physically destroy hard drives, and a second time by lying to FISA judges to destroy General Michael Flynn and spy on then-candidate Donald Trump and his team. The national liberal media aided and abetted every step of the way. All this was purely an attempt to cripple the new president and lead to the appointment of a special counsel – who ultimately produced nothing.

        Now, people in my world are told it is time to stop resisting and cooperate with the new president. But we remember that the Democrats wanted to cooperate with Trump so much that they began talking about his impeachment before he even took office. The Washington Post ran a story on Democrat impeachment plots the day of the Inauguration. In fact, nearly 70 Democratic lawmakers boycotted his inauguration. A massive leftwing demonstration was staged in Washington the day after, where Madonna announced she dreamed of blowing up the White House to widespread applause. These same forces want me to cooperate with their new president. I find myself adopting the Nancy Pelosi model of constant resistance. Nothing I have seen from Biden since the election offers me any hope that he will reach out to the more than 74 million Americans who voted for President Trump.

        So, I am not reacting to the votes so much as to the whole election environment.

        When Twitter and Facebook censored the oldest and fourth largest newspaper (founded by Alexander Hamilton) because it accurately reported news that could hurt Biden’s chances – where were The New York Times and The Washington Post?

        The truth of the Hunter Biden story is now becoming impossible to avoid or conceal. The family of the Democrat nominee for president received at least $5 million from an entity controlled by our greatest adversary. It was a blatant payoff, and most Americans who voted for Biden never heard of it – or were told before the election it was Russian disinformation. Once they did hear of it, 17% said they would have switched their votes, according to a poll by the Media Research Center. That’s the entire election. The censorship worked exactly as intended.

        Typically, newspapers and media outlets band together when press freedom is threatened by censorship. Where was the sanctimonious ‘democracy dies in darkness’?

        Tragically, The Washington Post is now part of the darkness.

        But this is just a start. When Twitter censors four of five Rush Limbaugh tweets in one day, I fear for the country.

        When these monolithic internet giants censor the President of the United States, I fear for the country.

        When I see elite billionaires like Mark Zuckerburg are able to spend $400 million to hire city governments to maximize turnout in specifically Democratic districts – without any regard to election spending laws or good governance standards – I fear for the country.

        When I read that Apple has a firm rule of never irritating China – and I watch the NBA kowtow to Beijing, I fear for our country.

        When I watch story after story about election fraud being spiked – without even the appearance of journalistic due diligence or curiosity – I know something is sick.

        The election process itself was the final straw in creating the crisis of confidence which is accelerating and deepening for many millions of Americans.

        Aside from a constant stream of allegations of outright fraud, there are some specific outrages – any one of which was likely enough to swing the entire election.

        Officials in virtually every swing state broke their states’ own laws to send out millions of ballots or ballot applications to every registered voter. It was all clearly documented in the Texas lawsuit, which was declined by the US Supreme Court based on Texas’ procedural standing – not the merits of the case. That’s the election.

        In addition, it’s clear that virtually every swing state essentially suspended normal requirements for verifying absentee ballots. Rejection rates were an order of magnitude lower than in a normal year. In Georgia, rejection rates dropped from 6.5% in 2016 to 0.2% in 2020. In Pennsylvania, it went from 1% in 2016 to
        .003% in 2020. Nevada fell from 1.6% to
        .75%. There is no plausible explanation other than that they were counting a huge number of ballots – disproportionately for Biden – that normally would not have passed muster. That’s the election.

        The entire elite liberal media lied about the timeline of the C0VlD-19 vaccine. They blamed President Trump for the global pandemic even as he did literally everything top scientists instructed. In multiple debates, the moderators outright stated that he was lying about the US having a vaccine before the end of the year (note Vice President Mike Pence received it this week). If Americans had known the pandemic was almost over, that too was likely the difference in the election.

        The unanimously never-Trump debate commission spiked the second debate at a critical time in order to hurt President Trump. If there had been one more debate like the final one, it likely would have been pivotal.

        This is just the beginning. But any one of those things alone is enough for Trump supporters to think we have been robbed by a ruthless establishment – which is likely to only get more corrupt and aggressive if it gets away with these blatant acts.

        For more than four years, the entire establishment mobilized against the elected President of the United States as though they were an immune system trying to kill a virus. Now, they are telling us we are undermining democracy.

        You have more than 74 million voters who supported President Trump despite everything – and given the election mess, the number could easily be significantly higher. The truth is tens of millions of Americans are deeply alienated and angry.

        If Biden governs from the left – and he will almost certainly be forced to – that number will grow rapidly, and we will win a massive election in 2022.

        Given this environment, I have no interest in legitimizing the father of a son who Chinese Communist Party members boast about buying. Nor do I have any interest in pretending that the current result is legitimate or honorable. It is simply the final stroke of a four-year establishment-media power grab. It has been perpetrated by people who have broken the law, cheated the country of information, and smeared those of us who believe in America over China, history over revisionism, and the liberal ideal of free expression over cancel culture.

        I write this in genuine sorrow, because I think we are headed toward a serious, bitter struggle in America. This extraordinary, coordinated four-year power grab threatens the fabric of our country and the freedom of every American.”

        Newt Gingrich

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      12. Well, besides the fact that Newt was entirely part of the process for decades as a leader.. Speak of the House, etc. , if there was some disgruntled problem for decades with America he was part of it. That being said… I call on our young host, Sim.. to read this as it does a good job in explaining the general feelings and perceptions of Trump supporters. What is entirely missing from this is context.. and to adequately discuss the elements herein one would have to take them one at a time. Each element stands on its own… and it’s not one large collective of misdeeds carried out by some deep state, secret handshake star chamber bunch pulling all the strings to destroy America.

        What I’ve found the Trump supporters are failing to see from the Left is that the Trump “hatred” is for the man himself.. and I could go on listing those “reasons” as much as Newt has done here… as I have on my old blog for the last 4 years.
        But the general essence is that we have about 50% of Americans who feel disenfranchised and we can’t just shrug all that off. But it’s not a light switch. Democracy is a compromise.. and we have to get back to that point. This is a fact.. for as little value that any facts are these days… Each one of those thousands of Americans that invaded the Capitol all were there for different personal reasons. Solving this will not be easy.

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      13. Yes, it’s certainly an interesting read to consider the perceptions and viewpoints of Trump supporters, and what key events impacted upon the way they see America politics.

        I definitely agree with you that we can’t categorise or generalise all the people who stormed the Capitol into one category, as this is something a lot of people have been guilty of doing. Democracy is certainly about compromise, and although it seems very divisive, the more you read, the more you see the similarities between the two sides. It’s about finding that middle ground and moving forward, a task that Biden will now have to take on.

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      14. Please, in future, never just copy and paste text into a comment. If you feel it is absolutely necessary, please sent a link to a page. I don’t want to hear what Newt Gingrich thinks, I want to hear what you think and the evidence you have to support your claims.

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      15. From Woo the People: Satire, Gender-neutral language was all we were missing in this country. No priority was more of an emergency than this for the people. Helping to fight Covid-19 and lower the death rate and help the hospitals and medical professionals or to pass legislation to help the millions out of jobs and closed businesses was not priority ! Passing a second phony impeachment without a trial and making words such as parent and child and sibling to replace mother, father, son, daughter, brother, and sister were what will correct all your troubles, joblessness, Covid-19 deaths and hate. That will help you pay for food and rent ! Let the restaurants go out of business, who cares ? let salons and other little businesses be kept closed, who cares ?
        I have been troubled for years and I know you have too, because I wanted words like chairman to be replaced by chair, and seamen with seafarers, and himself and herself with themself. The office of the whistleblower ombudsman must be replaced by the office of whistleblower ombuds !
        The brilliant witch of San Francisco and house speaker, Nancy Pelosi said
        “As House Speaker, I am pleased to join Chairman Jim McGovern in introducing this visionary rules package ” ” We made this change for the sake of inclusion, not exclusion”, Jim McGovern said.
        While Pelosi says to replace Chairman with Chair, he calls McGovern Chairman Jim McGovern !
        You see, there are no sexes or sex differences. Who you think is your father, could be your mother and your brother could be your sister, what is the difference. You are not inclusive if your father is male and your mother is female, shame on you !
        We have now entered deep into the “twilight zone” and as of January 6th 2021 we may never be able to get out ! “Cancel Culture” and “Gaslighting” are alive and doing well !! Add “Kafkatrap” to that. If you do not agree you are simply “A white Supremacist and have White Privilege”. Any denial of such serves as evidence of guilt !!!!!
        I do not want to mention the other garbage Pelosi and the other democrats uttered.
        The Republicans are in an “alternate reality, a “parallel universe” and have no clue what is happening to them, or how to protect the country and the people against the “democrats” !

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      18. We can’t just spend our whole day asking for the same thing without any attempt to respond to our questions. We’re asking for objective evidence. Proof that supports the claims you have made in the comments. I’m not going to continue to entertain your viewpoint if you can’t explain how these claims are supported and show that to the audience.

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      21. Thank you for the quote but if you could explain how it’s relevant to the rest of your point, that would be great. Although, I don’t agree, there is still a difference. Gang killings are directed and intentional killings. All other shootings are random and can impact on anyone. Those are the killings which must be stopped first because that is what can impact anyone, and the only way to stop those, is to enforce restrictions on people’s capacity to purchase firearms. I asked for sources and evidence to support your claims, not names of people.

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      23. Guns in lawful hands are safe. Guns in lawful hands are safe. That is one of the most frightening comments I’ve ever read. Almost gives me shivers reading that. Nikolas Cruz – was lawfully carrying a gun and killed 17 students in the Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting. Dimitrios Pagourtzis – was lawfully carrying a gun and killed 10 people in the Santa Fe High School Shooting. I can keep going.

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      24. Domitrios was 17, therefore could not legally own guns. Cruz somehow dodged through with loopholes. And what you’re telling me is it’s ok to punish law abiding citizens fir a couple bad apples. That’s just like saying we need to defund the police for a couple bad actors. Or punishing one child when it was the other one who did wrong. Doesn’t make sense to me.

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      25. Dimitrious obtained the gun as it was lawfully purchased by his father. Your statement on Cruz is incorrect. Cruz legally purchased a AR-15 from a gun store and passed the required background check – everything was legal and he dodged no loopholes. What do you mean by punish? I’m not saying ban all guns. I’m saying increase some restrictions surrounding high-powered weapons which aren’t necessary for defence. Did the other child kill multiple helpless children at a place of learning? There is a huge difference between a naughty child and a gunman who has a legally purchased firearm killing multiple kids at a school.

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      26. Since you don’t live in the US and clearly have a thing against guns, I will not comment any further than this: there are so many loops a person needs to jump through to purchase a gun it’s ridiculous. Red flags get missed sometimes.

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      28. Unfortunately…. our fifty states results in a hodge-podge of 50 different legal requirements (not to mention towns and cities) in purchasing and owning.. and using.. and displaying guns. Each law many times initiated by certain crime stats (admittedly some questionable) and sometimes medical and/or behavioral interpretations of human social conditions.

        In our patriotic moments as a nation we praise the heroes and patriots who gave their lives defending our freedoms. But few understand that this sacrifice continues with each of our rights each year. Someone always dies each year as a result of having those rights… and it has little to do with fighting off foreign zealots. Just start at the top and go down the list… each right cost in lives each year simply by assuming it is a right. But we tend to call those things anomalies.. accidents… something to just shrug it off. Just look at the yearly death toll from guns. If we had no guns then we’d have no deaths due to guns. But we can’t have that because it’s impractical to achieve given all the guns in circulation. People die each year just for expressing freedom of speech. Anyway… just a perspective. I am a gun owner, btw… but I am not threatened by gun ownership requirements.

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      29. I see, are all guns laws under state laws and not federal laws?

        Very interesting thoughts Doug. Yeah, I’m not ultra-against guns or believe in the complete criminalisation of guns, but I think there has to be some more restrictions as the passage to obtaining a weapon seems too easy. My reference is always back to my home, where guns have been illegal for almost 30 years and we haven’t had a mass shooting since. It’s the assault and high-powered weapons that concern me the most. I can understand a pistol but I struggle to understand why someone would need to have a shotgun and AR-15 just to ‘defend’ themselves. Interested as to your thoughts on this as a gun owner.

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      30. Us Americans have a love fest with guns. It’s the tool by which we tamed the Wild West. It’s the thing of legends here. But all that is after 1789 when the Founding Fathers penned it into the Constitution for reasons of allowing for militias.. which at the time was a kind of citizens reserve army to provide for a common defense and assure government stayed in line. Rather than take up a lot of space here I’ll direct you to this link. For a couple years leading up to Trump’s win as President I had a blog. It still exists as it’s on WordPress’s server and I have long ago forgotten the passwords so I can’t dump it nor post to it anymore. But this link expresses my own thoughts and reasons regarding the Second.

        https://dougsboomerrants.wordpress.com/2016/08/10/my-uncommon-sense-that-quirky-2nd-amendment/

        If you hit the “home” link there you might find some other worthwhile tidbits to read.

        On Jan. 20, 2017 I formed another political blog to deal with my anti-Trump proclivities.. you would have liked that one. But alas, a month before our election I stopped that blog figuring whatever has been said is soon to be over. So I set up a more “tame” blog.. less Trump and more personal. If you want to explore that.. click on my avatar. But the link above will explore the Second.

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      31. Thanks for sharing the blog! I will definitely have a read and look through it!

        Wonderful, I look forward to reading your writing and learning more from you aswell 🙂

        And hope the next week in America is as peaceful as possible.

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      32. We don’t need more gun laws here, we need the laws we have to be enforced.
        The right is tired of being mocked, ridiculed, stomped on and blamed for America’s problems. We are the most equal opportunity country in the world, but bc I am white I owe them. We sat there and watched BLM and antifa destroy our cities, nothing we could do. I know what antifa stands for, by the way. There is no way anyone in there right mind can think Biden fairly won the election. He didn’t even win the democrat debate. There was a glitch while voting and instead of trying to fix it, they nominated Biden. Harris didn’t even get 3% of the vote. Biden can’t put together a coherent sentence without being told what to say. But yet, somehow, he got even more votes than Obama did. We don’t believe it, and there’s proof of the fraud, and outside interference from China, Italy, Spain, and Pakistan. You want hard proof? I can’t give it to you, and besides I’d be laughed at, called a clown, ridiculed, and other things. So I will keep my mouth shut…
        I am tired of all the shaming, name calling, watching my country burn. I’m the bad one for believing what I do, for believing in my country and what she stands for. I do not want One World Order, the green new deal or any of the other stuff the left is pushing. I am a female, who loves her son and believes there are two genders and only two genders. I believe we have the right to defend ourselves (once a felon that right is taken away as well as the right to vote). Yes, I’m tired. I don’t believe Biden won lawfully and things could get nasty in the next few days.
        After this I will not respond to any more comments

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      33. I feel your passion, frustration, and disappointment. Truly. But as I mumbled earlier in here.. for the Left it’s far more about Trump himself… and his methods. I’ve been GOP all my life.. yet on election day I went online in CA and changed my affiliation to “Other” (CA doesn’t have “Independent”) simply because I found Trump appalling as a human being. I’m afraid the name-calling will get worse for Trump supporters.. especially if any of this insurrection violence gets far worse.. and people die… which they will. Americans killing American just disturbs me… as I’d think it would you as well.

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      34. It does, but most of us have had enough. We just want to live our lives in peace, in a free America. Not have our lives dictated to us by elitists, Hollywood or the media which isn’t really news anymore.

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      35. I realize your sensitivity at this point given the future looks bleak from your perspective.. but you said you just want to live your life in peace in a free America. When exactly did all that vanish? Have you suffered personally in losing any freedoms.. or living in peace? I am not asking that to snipe… I am just curious at what has led to your personally feeling “left out” of some aspect of America. In what way have elitists dictated your life? Maybe it would help to understand in your mind what makes a person an elitist?

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      36. Watch this with an open mind, if you can.
        Freedom of speech: (The First Amendment) it’s only just begun. Conservatives are being censored as we speak. First it’s conservatives, next it’s anyone who doesn’t tow the line. Peaceably assemble: can’t gather in churches, bars, each other’s homes, but you can go to Wal-Mart, target, or home depot with no problems. Why can I go to Wal-Mart (large crowds) but I can’t go to church or the bar? BLM or antifa can riot and burn (remember the “mostly peaceful protests”?) but an American can’t peacefully attend a rally.
        Right to a free and fair election: now that the democrats have power, the electoral college is already on the table. Look it up.
        The right to bare arms: they’ve already made it nearly impossible to buy a firearm. They attacked the 2nd amendment under the guise of covid, making it even harder. Believe in the second amendment or not, it’s still a right. Believe in the 1st amendment or not, I still have the right to free speech as do you. As long as I don’t yell fire in a crowded building or threaten any harm, I have the right to speech. Trump and his supporters are being threatened-kicked off social media, threat of reeducation camps, can’t get a job, travel. How is that helpful for unity?
        Those are just a couple…I have the same rights as you, even though I might think differently. Is it really that bad that I believe in America and what she stands for?
        “If America falls, so goes the world.” We are the last stand against evil in the world. Think about that for a minute. Take a look at history, take a look around you and really look at what’s going on around you. Take a step back, pause for a moment. After they’re done with “me”, “you” just might be next. It’s so much more than just censoring “conservative” speech. You might think differently….

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      37. I find it interesting that those things you have cited have been developments and or events from the last four years. Did you reach these conclusions from “fears” you had prior to Trump.. or did Trump inspire you with these fears? Are you trying to defend Trump.. or defend your own beliefs? I mean.. consider those questions rhetorical because I am not so sure you would answer me without bias. Again.. it all has context. Freedom is speech is not going anywhere. Remember the wedding cake case where the baker refused to sell to gays? Courts said a person in business can choose to sell or not to sell to whomever they wish. Same goes for social media companies. They can sell their service, or restrict, to whomever they wish. Courts have decided that. Freedom of Speech was meant toward government only. Another thing people miss about free speech… just because you CAN say it doesn’t relieve you from any responsibilities or consequences IF you say it. Example.. you are free to wear a MAGA hat. But general common sense might suggest that if you don’t want to draw attention (verbal assaults or thumps on the head) then don’t wear it. Now.. if your overall goal is to look the victim and come home at the end of the day bruised and broken just so you can accuse the “other” of taking away your freedoms.. that’s ALL on you.

        Gun ownership? I live in one of the most restrictive gun states in the Union. A few months ago went online and legally purchased a shotgun. It was a process but it was easy. I place my purchase online.. they shipped the firearm to my local FFL dealer gun shop. I notified the gun shop it was coming.. they called me when it arrived. I went in and completed the background check paperwork.. waited the ten days… then picked it up. Hardly an impossible task to purchase a gun unless you have a police record somewhere.

        Context matters.

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      38. When we speak about not being able to gather in churches and bars, are you referring to the COVID-19 restrictions? Those restrictions would seem reasonable because you can do them at home. You can’t buy food and necessities at home, which is why convenience stores are open. Politics isn’t going to make America fall. It may seem like a big issue, but our countries keep moving regardless of who is in charge. In our democracies everyone is actually quite moderate, otherwise they wouldn’t be elected.

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      39. It’s the worst and most extreme consequence of democracy. It’s where democracy fails to unite people in debate but pushes them further apart. You may be interested in a post I wrote a few months ago called “A Deadly Echo Chamber”. It’s where I talk about the impact social media has had on our ability to debate peacefully and has only made us more extreme in our beliefs, significantly impacting the effectiveness of democracy. It’s something we all need to work on I believe.

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      40. This quandary we find ourselves in with trying to wrestle with the morality of social media is going to follow the world for years to come. I’ve presented for years that one thing that would help is an accelerated emphasis in our education processes around the world to include critical thinking skills. For sure everyone says they make up their own minds and are not following a Pied Piper but in reality not a whole lot of people understand how to filter the immense amount of information tossed our way over the internet as a whole and completely fall victim to finding someone’s version of life and calling it fact. It should start in the elementary grades and proceed right up through high school.
        I can’t speak for Australia but here in the good old U.S. of A. we have a huge mental health problem and we need a unified national mental health policy with an emphasis given similar to that which established NASA; a cabinet position. Mental health covers ALL aspects of life and affects everything we do as humans.

        But those are just a couple starting points.

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      41. I absolutely love and support both those ideas. I think education on critical thinking is one of the most valuable skills in the 21st Century. I took a critical thinking class in University (or what Americans call College haha) last semester and I learnt so much! It was definitely worthwhile! It’s too easy for us all to just absorb information as we hear and see it. The skill of sifting through that information and finding our own opinions and beliefs is so important.

        Australia is the same with mental health, and I’m sure it’s the same in most countries around the world. It should certainly be the highest of priorities for the government as yes it does impact upon everything. Especially in my generation, mental health is really impacting on people’s capacity to take opportunities. People are being left behind for something that they cannot control. It’s hard to see and I hope there can be some change in that area.

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      42. The thing to remember is that having a national mental health program is far more than just dealing clinically people with nature vs. nurture issues and results of life traumas like abuse. It must include brain research and mapping.. understanding the parts of the brain that result in contributing to our behaviors.. then developing treatments by which we can intervene to correct aberrant behaviors. A mental health policy should also include the limits we can go while yet retaining a person’s entitlement to their individual freedoms. We need to explore whether or not behavior modification, once science technology has caught up, is a just “cure” for a person’s quality of life.. before it becomes a tool for behavior control. We send an army into combat a a third of returning veterans have some form of PTSD. Can we control that before a person goes into combat? The most traumatizing event for a female is rape. How do we deal with their mental anguish so that they can return to some quality of life before the rape? These are ALL issues regarding mental health. Even to determining the moral limitations on how much we should control the human brain.

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      43. Such interesting thoughts Doug! I was really challenged by your thoughts on mental health, it certainly opened my eyes to a wider interpretation of mental health funding that I never considered before. I think mental health is often generalised and fails to consider the various forms, causes and consequences.

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      44. I think we’ll leave it there for now, but it’s been interesting to talk and hear your viewpoints. I want to end by saying that you won’t be laughed at, called a clown or ridiculed by providing hard proof. When we make claims that we want to share with others, we must support them with evidence. In the social media world, inaccurate information can spread quickly as people are quick to consider anything truthful and don’t have time to research further. Rumours can spread and can ruin lives. We must be careful of this.

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      46. Guns do kill people. There are more factors than just that, but that is the truth. I understand the desire to want a gun to defend your property or family – that’s very reasonable. But where does your gun go when it’s not being used? Is it out in the open for a child or someone else to pick up and use incorrectly? Or is it locked in a safe or hidden in a drawer which makes it impossible to acquire if someone is already breaking into your house? You have to want to kill someone, to kill them with a baseball bat. You don’t have to want to kill someone, to kill them with a gun. A gun can be picked up and fired accidentally or by someone who does not know how to use it, and the damage can be irreversible. Does your desire to have a gun stem from you wanting to protect your family or your distrust in the local enforcement? Or something else???

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    2. Hello HCMORRIS77. Yes there is a lot of disinformation, most of it pushed by the minority right wing media. You mention that the main stream media wont say what is repeated on the minority media and that is because it is not true. It is a minority opinion not backed up by fact. Even the right wing media sites such as Fox News and OANN had to retract and debunk the incorrect information on air. I watched the Lou Dobb’s show debunk everything he said on Fox News about Dominion voting machines and voter fraud. Look it up. Think on it, sixty court cases including the SCOTUS where they have all asked for and offered the place to display the fraud and illegalities. Yet even the President’s lawyers wouldn’t present any evidence and Rudy Giuliani admitted “This Is Not a Fraud Case”.

      As for guns in the US, I have heard the often said they are coming for our guns in every administration since Carter, and it normally is followed by a fundraiser. The people claiming it are trying to increase gun sales and it works. But the fact is other than a few normal restrictions no one is coming for citizens guns. However as a former military person I can tell you the fantasy of the citizen militia standing up to a fascist tyrannical government and winning is a joke. As you can see from the 25 K national guard build up in D.C. the military out guns and out mans any militia or gang attempt to take it down. If that were the case a foreign government would have done it long ago. The best a militia could do would be a few hit and run tactics before they were totally taken out.

      Be well. Hugs

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      Reply

      1. Thank you very much for your comment and insightful thoughts! Yes, the election fraud debate has no weight and merely detracts from America moving forward. In terms of guns, I struggle to see how slightly increasing restrictions regarding the possession, supply and distribution of weapons would significantly impact on people’s lives. Is there something that I’m missing from your point of view?

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      3. Yeah I have some understanding, but probably could research and learn some more. Personally, from what I have read, the amendment seems very outdated and almost irrelevant. It was written when America didn’t have a military and the people wanted a way to fight back against the government if a tyranny occurred – seems reasonable to me. However, in 2021, there is a military. A civilian military couldn’t even begin to compete with the military and government in terms of weaponry and numbers, so based on why it was originally written, it doesn’t seem to have a purpose in 2021. I also get the sense that people in America and around the world don’t understand why the second amendment was created or just ignore the reason and use it as justification for any use of guns?

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      4. It’s amazing how one “simple” sentence in the Second can create so much controversy and rage from either extremes. I am thinking at least one person in here will be happy to share their opinion that will certainly differ from your first-blush interpretation. 🙂

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      6. Hello Sim. You understand the situation very well except for one aspect. Emotion. The gun lobby has people who can drum up a desired emotional response that over looks facts in the people they are trying to reach. Facts like until the District of Columbia v. Heller case in 2008 the idea of gun ownership as an individual right that shouldn’t be regulated or interfered with was not the way it was before. Gun ownership as a inviolable right was driven by the NRA, which claimed to be a gun rights organization but was actually an arm of the gun manufactures that was to increase sales and lobby for pro gun laws. The NRA realized the more they increased fear and hate the more gun sales rose. The group apposed all reasonable gun laws under the idea of constitutional rights simply because they were paid big money to keep the sale of guns going. These facts seem unimportant to the people who run on emotion and feel their gun is the only right the constitution gives them. These emotional people forget or ignore all other rights and that other people have rights also just so they can feel powerful and not fearful. Even though all studies have shown that a gun in the home increases the chances that someone in the home will die of gun violence and not deter any crime. Hugs

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      7. Hi Scottie, thank you for sharing your insights on the NRA! I’ve done some research on the lobby in the past, and it’s obviously in the media a lot, but it was great to hear your perspective. Emotion can make people do things they wouldn’t normally do, and that seems to be the case for these guns laws. People seem so connected to the weapons and the idea of ‘their rights’, that nothing can even begin to diminish that emotion. It’s a very strange concept for people in Australia, including myself. We are not a very nationalistic nation and don’t have any form of a charter or rights or lots of specific rights in our constitution.

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      8. Emotion can make people do things they wouldn’t normally do, and that seems to be the case for these guns laws.

        BINGO!! But try and reason with an adamant gun-owner on this … !!

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      12. Hello Sim. I have read that in your country there was a mass shooting event, afterwards new laws got passed with common sense restrictions and the people of the country agreed to them. Greatly different here. I really thought we would have new gun restrictions when mass shootings of children started happening. But sadly money put into mass advertising by the gun lobby ( NRA ) made everyone afraid and changed the subject from dead children to some mythical right bestowed by god himself. When it became about the people thinking someone was going to take what they thought they had to have to make them equal to those they were afraid of, sensible gun control became almost impossible. Hugs

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      13. Hi Scottie, yes that is correct. The Port Arthur massacre in 1996 has been the last mass shooting in Australia. As you have stated, gun reform that was legislated after the massacre has been the primary reason that Australian gun violence is incredible low. I believe Trump had a close relationship with the NRA, or at least the Republican Party has a good relationship with the NRA? So, it will be interesting to see if Biden can make any difference on gun reform. Because at some stages it has seemed like the NRA have been even more powerful than the government in influencing people’s opinions towards guns and gun restrictions.

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      14. Hello Sim. Yes for a long time the NRA was very powerful. The Republican party is craven for power and so gleamed on to the NRA and the NRA used that relationship for a long time to get their way. The NRA threatened any politician who wouldn’t toe their lines with their membership and money. But things have changed. The NRA got exposed for the grifting organization it was, with a bunch of financial crimes committed by the top people who are facing charges. The NRA has now filed for bankruptcy so it has no money to throw around and is no longer a threat to politicians who vote against their desires, so maybe something can be done to control the out of control spread of guns in the US. Also we need to educate people, there is a misconception that in the creation of the US in the wild west it was an outlaw gun culture. That is a myth created by Hollywood movies and TV shows. Most western towns and cities had very strict gun laws, and guns and ammo was expensive so was not wasted. But the myth endures because people want to believe our ancestors were all brave tough people. Hugs

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      15. Very interesting Scottie, thank you very much for your insights again into the NRA. It definitely isn’t talked about much in Australia, possibly to not give any people ideas! How do you think Biden will go at introducing gun restriction reform?

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      16. Hello Sim. I don’ think it is a priority right now with so many crisis issues that have to be fixed first. But when the time is right I think he will introduce things that the majority of the people want such as better back ground checks and closing loop holes used to get guns with no checks. Storage laws are also not controversial to most people. Everyone on the gun side talks about their rights, but say nothing of their responsibility. In the US education is the key to lowering the amount of demand for guns. The gun manufactures and their lobbyists, including the Republican party, have worked to stoke fear which causes gun demand. Scared people are told they need a gun to be safe. If we can show people they are far safer than they thought and if we can show them the dangers of a gun in their home, they may think twice. Also on that note we must have gun owners insure their guns. We need an advertising campaign against guns to compete with the progun advertisements and to show the bad side of gun ownership. We did that with tobacco use and it worked to reduce users. I admit I am not an expert in this subject, so others may have better ideas. Hugs

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      17. Hi Scottie, certainly seems as if there are some great solutions or at least pathways that could be targeted in attempting to reduce gun-related deaths. I think the anti-gun advertising is very important, but it must be presented correctly. Anti-smoking advertisement in Australia was incredibly effective by presenting very natural and realistic images that created an emotional reaction by many people. I also appreciated how the advertising directly linked to platforms where people could be supported. I think anti-gun advertising that is personal and realistic could be very effective, but must be paired with a place where people can take action and make the most of that emotional reaction.

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    3. Hello HCMORRIS77 . You say that when guns are outlawed only the outlaws will have guns. Silly slogan and not true. But if you think that is a good reason for no gun laws lets use it else where to see if it holds up. People break speed limits all the time so we shouldn’t have any traffic laws or speed limits as they don’t work well enough. Lets not make anything illegal because crooks don’t obey laws anyway. See the fallacy with that slogan. If you follow the idea to the conclusion then we might as well have no laws or rules at all. Hugs

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      1. Wonderful example Hugs (if that’s how I should refer to you haha)! Introducing restrictions means that someone who isn’t an outlaw (as has been witnessed many times in America such as the numerous school shootings) can’t act on a rush of emotion or trauma. They may attempt to buy a gun, but the restrictions will stop them and give them time to pause and think about their actions. Yes, they may go down the black market route, but for others, it could provide them the opportunity to relax, possibly get assistance and consider their actions. This pause can be the difference between life and death.

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      2. Hello Sim. Yes you are correct, given time for emotions to cool would stop a lot of gun tragedies.

        My name is Scottie. When I started my blog in 2007 I felt that comments and replies should be like a conversation. As I read other blogs comment sections I often lost track of who was being addressed. So I started using a person’s name or sign on handle to address the comment / reply to them. It got to be a habit I have kept doing. I also wanted to let people know that I cared about them even if I disagreed with what they said, so I started to sign off with virtual hugs. To date I have had only one person object to the hugs sign off. Best wishes. Hugs

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      3. Hi Scottie, yes, unfortunately people makes mistakes and make poor decisions in the moment. If we can minimise these instances, I really believe we can save more lives.

        What a wonderful idea! I look forward to continuing following your blog and learning from discussing topics with you!

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    4. Thanks for your comment! Although there may be an external sense that there is a tyrannical government because of some of the media rollercoasters that have taken place over the past weeks, America’s government is still farm from a tyranny at this stage. There are a lot of other people from just the President and although the President may have stopped working, everyone else is still doing their job. As for your claim that there is ‘mountains of proof’ that Biden didn’t win the election fairly, I’d love to see some of this proof. I am yet to see anything conclusive on this point so if you could share that would be great 🙂 Thanks!

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  4. I can’t find a “reply” so I’m starting a new thread.

    Re: “Antifa” — First, the word does not describe any kind of highly organized movement. It is actually short for “anti-fascist” — “fascist” generally being defined as those who are extreme right-wing, authoritarian, intolerant, and/or racist. Further, the vast majority of anti-fascist tactics involve no physical violence (contrary to some news media reports).

    This is not to say that some who consider themselves anti-fascist were not involved in the recent uprising. However, by far the majority of participants were Proud Boys, Patriot Prayer, and other groups who support Trump’s far-fetched belief that he was “cheated” out of a second term.

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    1. Thank you for your comment Nan! I certainly agree with you! There may have been a minuscule number of Antifa or other groups at the Capitol riot, but any mention of them is just an attempt to distract from what actually occurred as you stated perfectly. They were Proud Boys, and other groups who support Trump’s ultra-right perspective. Any attempt to talk about other groups is an attempt to deny the facts of what occurred at the Capitol, and that is once again, a very dangerous idea.

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  5. Hello Sim? I hope that is the correct name. You have the situation down correctly with tRump and impeachment. I find it interesting you mentioned the pardon part of the impeachment. I was just listening to a video on that subject and how tRump being impeached will make it impossible for him to pardon anyone involved with it. I hope that is true, and I will link to it below.

    One of the things that terrifies tRump most is being ignored. Being out of the limelight and not the center of attention is horrible for him. He craves it and demands it. So with him being banned from social media and with few media outlets covering him making his feeling / pronouncements inconsequential is a bad punishment for him. it will force him to lash out to get attention. He also wont be able to direct his cult like followers in any meaningful way.

    Good post, informative and well written. Hugs

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    1. Yes that’s my name 🙂 Thank you very much for your feedback, it was certainly an area I had to research more, as it is not a part of Australia’s politics.

      Definitely. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts to a life without twitter and how he is able to communicate once his time as President expires (as I’m sure he’ll want to keep talking!). Or, the unlikely option is that he goes to retirement and finishes out his life peacefully – seems unlikely though?

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  6. Sim … I have thoroughly enjoyed visiting your blog …. BUT! I urge you to visit your Admin page and examine your Settings/Discussion because the comment section is a disaster!

    Unless a person is following along via email notifications, it’s next to impossible to know who’s talking to who and when. 😕

    Just a word to the wise …

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    1. Thank you very much Nan! I appreciate your interaction and look forward to discussing more topics with you in the future 🙂

      Yes, I have noticed that, especially on this blog post as there were various streams of comments. I will look to address this problem and find a solution! Thank you 🙂

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