What Good Did the Impeachments Do for the American People?

 I’m adding my response to this question in a blog, so I’ll have it to look back on... but I won’t be posting it to FB since it was a FB post.

Although I can’t speak for the American people at large, I will speak about how it benefitted me.  I wouldn’t say the impeachments themselves taught me anything; but the impeachments were part of the fabric of my political education.  Basically, the experience has shown me how broken our political system is. I was an Independent voter who just figured, “Conservatives and Liberals are basically trying to solve the same problems - but Conservatives view things like EPA regulations as restrictions, and Liberals view them as protections... But we all want what’s best for the country.”

I’ve learned how naive I was.  It could be partly because, being Independent, I didn’t really entrench myself in either ideology.  I’ll be honest, I didn’t even vote for President every election because I knew that it was going to go Blue anyway in California. That is one of the evils of the Electoral College - it makes people think their vote doesn’t really count since only those “swing states” really count.  I still try to stay Independently minded but admit that I do have a Liberal leaning now.   I didn’t glue myself to the TV for either of the impeachment proceedings because I had a job and didn’t want to take time off.

Throughout the history of this country,  the parties have flipped in my opinion.  What started out as the Party of Lincoln is now largely the Party of Trump.  Democrats who were once filled with KKK are now more in line with JFK/LBJ.  Both parties still continue to push through racist policies in an effort to “be tough on crime” in the “war on drugs” while feeding a mass incarceration prison system (often for-profit) of POC disproportionately. 

Back to the impeachments... We agree that both had charges that were warranted.  Clinton was let off the hook, as was Clarence Thomas previously (for the sexual harassment of Anita Hill).  Republicans were so “upset” about Clinton’s sexual escapades and lying, yet installed Thomas to the highest court of the land 6-7 years prior.  Hypocrisy.  Let’s go now to the Democrats - They turned a blind eye and let Clinton off the hook; but in 2018, they drove the “Me Too” movement.  There were allegations by Tara Reade against Biden that have largely been ignored by Democrats.  Hypocrisy again. 

Fast forward to the 2016 election in which I became a Democrat.  The White Evangelicals are a huge part of the Trump base as demonstrated by the 80% of them that support him despite the well documented adulteries/divorces, bankruptcies, gambling businesses, etc.  The party of White Evangelicals and fiscal Conservatives had a ton of folks in the Primaries and that’s who they came up with?  That’s when I knew I was voting Blue.  I’ll admit that I was already frustrated by McConnell’s and the GOP Senate to block everything Obama tried to pass and their refusal to consider Merrick Garland but putting Trump at the top of their ticket cemented it for me.  

Now let’s discuss the Trump impeachment and what I learned.  Clearly it’s okay with the GOP (except for Mitt Romney) for their President to abuse his powers, solicit foreign governments for “dirt” on his opponent and then try to obstruct any investigations into his acts.  I can understand that as politics... but the “Christian Right” who lifts this clown up as a true Christian and great leader infuriates me.  It’s not even Trump that makes me mad because he’s made no secret who he is.  It’s the high-profile WE like Mike Huckabee, Pat Robertson, Franklin Graham etc that tick me off.  The GOP Senators who didn’t hold Trump accountable quote Bible verses etc on their Twitter feeds and give Christianity a bad name.  

In addition to learning how broken our political system is with hypocrisy, I also learned that the “Christian Right” is not necessarily that Christian.  Again, the impeachments alone did not open my eyes at once; but their place in the stream of events helped me to see something that saddens me... and that is how White Evangelicals are turning young Americans off from Christianity.  

As my daughter Lindsay Yuen noted above, she is one of the younger adults that no longer want to affiliate with American Christianity.  They see self-ascribed Christians behaving in ways not consistent with “loving your neighbor,” being hypocritical and judgmental, and supporting the Party of Trump.  I can’t say I blame her as I have often reconsidered my stance on “Church” and my place in it.  For now, I will continue to try to make inroads where I can in the hopes that my example will show that not all Christians are like the ones they see on their news and social media feeds.