accountability

Accountability – Day 788

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment

Watching and Waiting – Photo: L. Weikel

Accountability

I don’t know about all of you, but I’m exhausted. I’m also disillusioned. Disillusioned, but sadly, not surprised. Given a day to reflect on what I watched unfold on my television screen yesterday, I realize that what we witnessed was not a fluke. And the word that haunts me is ‘accountability.’

Sadly, both my reflection on yesterday’s events and monitoring of today’s leads me to the depressing realization that pretty much everything I’ve believed in all my life was a ruse. A fallacy. Accountability is apparently only for suckers; only applicable to people of meager means or those whose lives are so unremarkable as to be unconnected to those who wield power and influence.

I’m sure most of you know exactly what I’m feeling in the pit of my stomach right now simply by reading that one word title of this post. I bet most of you are feeling it too. That’s because most of us believe in there being consequences to our actions. And I am not talking about the potential long-term consequences that undoubtedly exist (I’m looking at you, karma), because I don’t actually doubt the inevitability of those.

No, I’m talking about direct, foreseeable, inescapable consequences to our choices, actions, and behavior. Accountability – being held responsible or answerable – in the present moment.

Stunned

Were you, like me, rendered nearly speechless when the masses of mostly maskless rioters were simply herded out of the Capitol building and allowed to walk away? Did you see anyone being arrested? Did you feel nauseated by the impunity with which these insurrectionists desecrated the House and Senate chambers, sitting in the seats of power with their feet up, rifling through papers, scrolling through laptops in lawmakers’ offices, destroying wooden nameplates, smashing windows and doors, even carting off the Speaker of the House’s lectern?

These acts were conducted without consequence. Sure, some of these people will be tracked down and arrested – eventually. But let’s face it: what we witnessed yesterday was an unprecedented violation of personal and public space by marauders intent upon disrupting the work of our democratic government – and there was essentially no accountability. In fact, it sure looks as though there was aiding and abetting going on by those tasked with the exact opposite. That, my friends, should scare the hell out of all of us.

Not only were the insurrectionists allowed to storm the Capitol with very little resistance, it appears that those who stoked this may get away without being held accountable as well. And the reason this took place in the first place is because there has been a lack of accountability for at least the last four years.

There is a gross disparity in our nation regarding accountability. Compare this activity with what we saw yesterday. We talk a lot about accountability in this country, but it is rarely applied to those in power or in the favor of those who are in power. Is that really what our country has come to stand for?

Failure to hold to account results in emboldened action.

We are in great peril.

Photo: L. Weikel

(T-323)

Weird Stuff – Day 651

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Potential Prey – Photo: L. Weikel

Weird Stuff

OK. I just sat here and started a post. I wrote a couple paragraphs and then looked away from the document I was working on because a text message made my phone chirp, which momentarily distracted me. When I returned to the document moments ago, nothing was there. Nothing other than ‘Day 651.’ That’s some weird stuff.

This is all in keeping with the way the rest of today has unfolded, which is both unnerving and infuriating. I sent myself at least six different photographs from my iPhone – possible inspirations for whatever I was going to write about this evening – and I sent them significantly earlier in the day, too! (For once I can’t blame this on me being ‘last minute.’) But they have yet to arrive in my email inbox. I also sent photos to a friend and colleague in England a good eight hours ago – and they have yet to arrive in his inbox.

I’d laugh if everything wasn’t just so seemingly bolloxed up. When electronic stuff doesn’t go through or doesn’t get delivered, there’s not a lot we can do. And it’s not even as though we can drop back and punt by sending things out via snail mail. Nope. Can’t rely on that anymore either.

What’s Sacred Anymore

The fact that our ability to communicate via the written word can be so easily and profoundly derailed is troubling. Or it should be. And the fact that it is our own government that’s sabotaging delivery of the physical expression of the written word should be more than alarming.

We’re seeing some profoundly weird stuff being passed off as the usual hyperbole associated with an election season. It is not. We are being bombarded by insanity. And if we don’t stand up and demand accountability, we will soon be buried by the bullshit.

The entire argument that disabling over 600 massive mail sorting machines could possibly be appropriate as we approach the election is disingenuous at best. And I do not buy it. But to destroy the machines? What fresh insanity is that? Why would that be done in any case, for any reason, other than to sabotage our mail system?

If you haven’t paid attention yet, here’s an article that describes quite literally what’s happening as a result of this deliberate assault on our mail system.

We’re living through disturbing times and witnessing some truly weird stuff. We need to dig deep and refuse to accept this assault on our institutions, our rights, and on what we know is right and true.

We need to take care of each other and what’s really important. This week is sure to be a wild, dystopian ride. We need to keep each other sane and not succumb to all the weird stuff being thrown at us from every direction.

Potential Predator – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-460)

Holding My Breath – Day 596

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A Little Bird Told Me – Photo: L. Weikel

Holding My Breath

As this week unfolds, we’re awaiting the publication of more decisions by the United States Supreme Court. One case I think a lot of people are on the edge of their seats over is whether the president will be compelled to release his tax returns to Congress. I’m both holding my breath in anticipation of the decision and not holding my breath for actual justice to be dispensed.

It makes me sad to admit how skeptical I am that this Supreme Court will do its job and rein in this president’s belief that he is above the law. And that is the Supreme Court’s job. The existence of our three co-equal branches of government and our system of checks and balances are integral and unique to our country’s identity and success.

Simply put, if he is given a green light to essentially thumb his nose at the subpoena power of Congress to engage in legitimate oversight, we are in for a most calamitous decline.

But let’s face it: we’re already there. The decline is real and it is precipitous.

Eclipse Season Revelations

The behavior of this administration is relentlessly exhausting. I know I’m not saying anything new or tipping you off to a perspective that’s unique. But you have to admit that, if eclipses are said to bring to light information that’s been hidden, we’re certainly experiencing horrifying revelations on a daily basis.

First (and obviously, this is not the ‘first’ exposure – it’s simply one of the more recent major issues uncovered since this eclipse season began at the beginning of this month) was the overt racism and fascistic response to the Black Lives Matter protests. The militaristic reaction to mostly peaceful protests and the use of tear gas, rubber bullets, and astounding threats of force against our own citizens were beyond the pale.

Then there is the admission that the nationwide availability of the testing for Covid-19, which is essential to helping our professionals accurately track, trace, and isolate the spread of this virus, is being deliberately ‘slowed down’ at the behest of the president.

Worse Yet?

And now we have an abundance of reporting that our president has known since February that Russia was putting a bounty on the heads of our troops in Afghanistan – and yet he has taken no action to defend our troops or retaliate in any way. The president has done absolutely nothing about this heinous attack on our troops. Not only that – he has gone out of his way to advocate on behalf of Putin for Russia to be readmitted to the G-7 (making it the G-8), as well as throw him other astonishing bones, such as unilaterally declaring our withdrawal of troops from Germany.

All of these things are cascading out of the dark boxes in which they’ve been hidden. The level and extent of the abuse our country is sustaining at the hands of the man charged with protecting us and having our best interests at heart seems to know no end.

Tax Returns?

As a result of everything we’re witnessing right now, from everything I mentioned above to the horrific spikes in Coronavirus cases, and now hospitalizations, in Florida, Texas, and Arizona (to just name the three worst cases at the moment) and the reality that they are caused by states slavishly following the demand of DT to ‘reopen the country,’ I do not have a good feeling.

If he is ordered to release his tax returns – what will he do to distract us?

If he is allowed to circumvent Congress and not forced to release his tax returns – what will he then feel emboldened to do next?

Either way, I’m holding my breath.

Photo: L. Weikel

(T-515)

Frustration – Day 200

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 2 Comments
Things are looking pretty dark – Photo: L. Weikel

Frustration               

I’ve been bouncing around a couple of ideas of what I could or might want to write about tonight. It’s #200 – so it seems appropriate that I should redouble my efforts to bring something of value to the table, especially for those of you who’ve been my faithful companions through this 1111 Devotion.

So I decided to scrap my follow up on the abysmal weather pattern we’ve been enduring here in eastern Pennsylvania (and obviously elsewhere, with even more devastating effects), even though the National Weather Service has confirmed that yesterday our area experienced the third tornado in ten days.

That’s some intense stuff.

Devoted to Ideals

Or I could riff on the scary state of our government and our country. But I don’t even like writing that sentence, to be honest. I am fundamentally devoted to the ideals I was taught are the foundation upon which our country was established. And what I’m seeing play out before our eyes is smothering my spirit.

I’m astonished that the principles of integrity and impartiality are such foreign concepts to so many people that they cannot fathom what is happening when others act with those two principles firmly ensconced in their core. That’s really what we’re seeing here with respect to the Mueller report.

Attorney General William Barr came out today in an interview and said that Mueller “could have” drawn a conclusion as to whether crimes have been committed by the President. By saying that, he is being completely disingenuous, because I would bet a million dollars they already had their propaganda campaign in place to completely smear Mueller had he chosen to do that. Why? Because of that obnoxious Department of Justice opinion that states a sitting president can’t be indicted.

Ethics and Integrity

Barr et al. were expecting (hoping) Mueller would adhere to the technicality of that opinion and choose not to indict. But they figured (perhaps because the evidence is so overwhelming?) he would feel compelled to out Trump by stating conclusions based upon the mountains of evidence they gathered.

The thing is, Mueller wasn’t going to allow himself to be cornered like that. He actually has integrity. He honors not only the letter of the law, but also the spirit of the law: which is essentially that it would be unfair to lodge a ‘conclusion’ against Trump if he was not able to refute it. As tempting as it would be to castigate Donald Trump and draw conclusions from those mountains of evidence, as a member of the Department of Justice, he refused to do so.

Barr and the Administration were astounded at Mueller’s integrity. Of course, they also viewed it as a weakness, because it gave Barr the chance to come out with this absurd argument that he’s now touting, which is basically, “Well, Mueller could have drawn a conclusion!”

The Difference Between Can and Should

Even though when Barr says that, he does not mean that Mueller could have ethically drawn a conclusion. Barr just means that Mueller ‘could have’ drawn it. Similar to me arguing that if I accidentally cause damage to someone’s car in a parking lot and no one sees me, I could just choose to drive away.

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

That’s when ethics come in. When integrity is the value that saves us from becoming a country that’s based on what we can get away with.

And that’s pretty much where we are right now.

What can we get away with? What can those who hold astounding amounts of power do when no one is looking? Good Goddess, what do they do when everyone is watching and no one in their own party (which is in the majority) holds them accountable?

If We Don’t Value and Demand Integrity – Who Will?

These are the fundamental questions we’re faced with. I’m incredibly frustrated that the concept of having impeccable integrity was so inconceivable to Barr and the Trump Administration that they just decided to exploit it as weakness, misrepresent it completely, and continue exploiting all of us for their own greedy ends.

Tell us how you really feel, Lisa.

(T-911)