OPINION
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
Guest Editorial
Trump must be held accountable On Jan. 6, 2021, President Donald Trump incited a violent mob to attack the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn a free and fair election. The U.S. House Select Committee investigation of the Jan. 6 attack has provided a powerful and detailed account of how Trump sought to overturn the election. On July 21, former deputy national security adviser Matthew Pottinger and a former press aide, Sarah Matthews, were key witnesses at the committee’s prime-time hearing as the panel examined what Trump was doing as his supporters broke into the Capitol. During the hearings, Pottinger and Matthews provided details on what Trump did—and didn’t do—as his supporters swarmed the U.S. Capitol and interrupted the ceremonial certification of the election. The American people should never forget that more than three hours elapsed between Trump’s speech at a rally near the White House and his release of a video calling the rioters “very special” but asking them to “go home now.” Pottinger and Matthews provided an account on what was happening behind the scenes as Trump resisted pleas from family, aides and Republicans to condemn the riot and urge people to leave the building. The stunning testimonies of Pottinger, Matthews and previous testimony by Cassidy Hutchinson, an aide to Mark Meadows, the former White House chief of staff, provides clear evidence that the country was led by an unhinged leader so desperate to stay in power that he attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The testimony of Pottinger, Matthews, Hutchinson and others is damning because it makes clear that Trump knew the Jan. 6 rally could turn violent. Hutchinson said Trump knew his supporters were armed but demanded that metal detectors be removed as armed protesters descended upon the Capitol. As his supporters rioted and chanted “Hang Mike Pence,” Trump said that his vice president, who had refused to bend under pressure to illegally throw out electoral ballots, deserved to be targeted, according to what Hutchinson said she heard from people who were present when Trump made the comment. When demanding that magnetic detectors be removed to allow armed supporters into his Jan. 6 rally, Trump reportedly said, “They’re not here to hurt me.” Hutchinson was appalled by the president and the rioters’ behavior as she watched as, in her words, “the Capitol building gets defaced over a lie.” The repeated lies of a stolen election threatened election workers. Wandrea Moss, a former Georgia election worker, testified about herself and her mother, Ruby Freeman, being targets of racism from Trump supporters who believed they rigged the 2020 election. The nine-member U.S. House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack, comprising seven Democrats and two Republicans, has done an impressive and essential public service for the past year in investigating the connection between Trump and his allies and the violence that ensued at the Capitol. The public hearing is having an impact. A new poll shows that about half of Americans believe Trump should be charged with a crime for his role in the U.S. Capitol attack. The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that 48 percent of U.S. adults say the Republican former president should be charged with a crime for his role, while 31 percent say he should not be charged. An additional 20 percent say they don’t know enough to have an opinion. Fifty-eight percent say Trump bears a great deal or quite a bit of responsibility for what happened on Jan. 6. Some argue that Trump should not face criminal indictment because it will divide the country. Trump is counting on this view prevailing. He has successfully used fear and intimidation tactics to get his way in business and politics. But the question must be asked: What happens to a democracy when a president can seek to overturn a free and fair election without consequences? What happens to the rule of law? How can the United States have any moral authority to lead the world if it lets Trump get away with inciting an armed mob to overturn a democratic election? There is mounting evidence against Trump, including: Trump refused to perform his constitutional duties on Jan. 6 and sought to intimidate government officials with the threat of force and obstruction of Congress. Trump coordinated with far-right militias to interrupt Congress’ Electoral College vote count. After Trump left office, there is evidence he engaged in witness tampering and the obstruction of justice. There is also evidence that Trump tried to contact unnamed committee witnesses. The Justice Department should indict Trump for his role in inciting the assault on the U.S. Capitol, refusing to take any action to stop the rioters for over three hours and other criminal actions. Trump must be held accountable. (Reprinted from The Philadelphia Tribune)
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Credit where due (TriceEdneyWire.com)—I am undisputedly a political progressive. I am vehemently anti-racist. I am an activist for women’s rights and equity. A primary goal in my life is the increased prospects for communities of color to improve their overall ‘quality of life’ and gain access to all of the rights, benefits, and opportunities available to any other citizen of the wealthiest nation in the world. There are no circumstances in which I can be identified to be aligned with politically conservative principles. I restate these facts because of the thoughts I offer today. The old adage of “Giving credit where credit is due” dictates today’s musings. I find myself doing something I could have never imagined before last year. With respect to the House Select Committee on the January 6th Attack, I commend the actions of Congresswoman Liz Cheney, Congressman Adam Kinzinger, and others whose actions can only be labeled as patriotic. For those too young or who haven’t yet made the connection, Liz Cheney is the oldest daughter and political clone of arch-conservatives (ex-Vice President) Dick and Lynne Cheney. Her campaign webpage states: “Liz has been a proven constitutional conservative and an advocate for a strong America.” Wikipedia describes her as “a leading ideological conservative…and a representative of the Republican establishment.” Her congressional voting record is 93 percent in sup-
Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.
Commentary port of Trump initiatives. She is a true Republican conservative. Conspicuously, her conduct as Vice-Chair of the House Select Committee on the January 6th Attack contradicts her past political positions. Her seat on the committee stands in opposition to the stance of congressional Republicans. She has aggressively rebuffed the alibis of the would-be insurrectionists and has vigorously supported the conventional expectations of the rule of law. Her interrogation of witnesses before the committee has been detailed and incisive. She has become a pariah and antagonist to her own party. Her opposition to party orthodoxy has led to her removal as Chair of the House Republican Conference and leadership among congressional Republicans. Her participation on the committee has drawn the ire of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and the disgraced, twice-impeached ex-president who have orchestrated a primary challenge for her seat in Congress. Yet, despite the on-going hostility and what appears to be an unceremonious end to her political career, Cheney refuses to rollover to those intent
on the destruction of the democratic traditions of the nation. For that I commend her. While offering commendations, I must also commend the courage and personal values of Cassidy Hutchinson, former aide to presidential Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows. In the face of public criticism and the possibility for retribution—both in career potential and physical security—she stood firm for the rule of law and brought the truth of an administration immersed in unethical conduct and corruption to the nation and the world. Among those who testified before the committee, we cannot forget Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss. These women, poll workers in Georgia during the 2020 election, were identified and targeted, by name, by Trump. Accused of ballot tampering by Trump and his stooge, Rudy Giuliani, they were threatened with bodily harm, were the victims of home invasion and schemes to extract confessions of malfeasance. Representative Adam Schiff asked a question that was applicable to all of the committee witnesses. “If the most powerful person in the world can bring the full weight of the presidency down on an ordinary citizen who is merely doing her job, with a lie as big and heavy as a mountain,” he said, “who among us is safe?” (Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. is a minister, a UN Peace Ambassador, and President of the Dick Gregory Society.)
How do others describe you? About a month ago I received a phone call from a neighbor and she informed me that she had filed a civil suit against Pittsburgh City Council and then she asked me would I be able to attend the hearing? My first response was what does the suit pertain to? The answer was there are three important issues, but the most important was the illegal raise that the council had given themselves. After a slight hesitation I asked her when and where was the hearing and then I assured her I would be there. Why did I hesitate? I thought about how several people had referred to this person and it generally was that she was a “Black activist” and she was generally out of control. That description made up my mind to attend the hearing and I was absolutely delighted that I was there. Upon entering the Court Room I was
Louis ‘Hop’ Kendrick
To Tell The Truth somewhat disappointed that there were only four of us in attendance, and the activist who had extended the invitation was her own attorney. It came to mind the old, old, old saying that if you defend yourself you generally have a fool for a client. However the activist, who served as her own attorney, was more than competent that day in court. Her name is Carmen Brown and she was totally in control. In fact, she was more professional and prepared than the Pittsburgh attorney who repre-
sented Pittsburgh City Council. After the hearing I called several persons whose opinions I have the utmost respect and asked them did any of them know Carmen and three of them knew her well. We talked at length and I came to the conclusion that down through Black history, there have been an untold number of Black women and men who have been described in a very negative sense. I am unable to name all of them, but ask yourself if you are one of those individuals whom others have labeled you falsely? Carmen Brown is a committed, out spoken and courageous woman. There are those who mislabeled Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., because he preached to turn the other cheek. I wrote my column, “Tell The Truth” for 23 years and only three people ever challenged it.
Economic violence and the safer American plan (TriceEdneyWire.com)—The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, signed into law on June 25, 2022, was a win for the Biden-Harris Administration. The legislation was genuinely bipartisan, more so in the Senate, where 15 Republicans joined 50 Democrats to pass the legislation, than in the House, where only 14 Republicans joined Democrats in passing the legislation. While I often think of the Senate as the more partisan of the two legislative bodies, it is notable that 30 percent of Republican Senators were willing to join their colleagues to stop gun violence and to provide funds for mental health, and community violence intervention, school safety, and some control. In contrast, fewer than 7 percent of Republican Congressional representatives were willing to cross party lines. Buoyed by the legislative victory, President Biden has now released a Safer Communities Plan, which is reflected in his 2023 budget. (https://www.whitehouse. gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/07/21/fact-sheet-president-bidens-safer-america-plan). While many aspects of this plan are laudable, one of the most troubling aspects is the plan to commit $13 billion over five years to flood the streets with 100,000 more police officers. The program uses the correct language by saying it will support “accountable” policing, but not a week goes by when we do not learn of the unaccountable policing that rankles anyone who believes in human rights. We don’t have to go back down memory lane to call the names of Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, Sandra Bland, or George Floyd. Just this year, there have been more martyrs. Joyland Walker was executed
Julianne Malveaux
Commentary in Akron. Patrick Loyola was killed in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Amir Locke was asleep on a couch in his cousin’s apartment in Minneapolis when a no-knock warrant allowed police offers to enter and shoot him in the head. And yet we need more police? Violence is in the news, and it is escalating. During the weekend of July 23-24, 65 people were shot and five killed in Chicago. While many describe Chicago as the epicenter of gun violence, no city is immune to it. No city is immune to other forms of violence, as well. I think, especially of economic violence, how economic tools are used to forcefully take life, liberty, and supply from people. The market forces that create homelessness are forms of economic violence. The gentrification that pushes people out of their neighborhoods is a form of economic violence. Rising prices and the inflation that hits poor people harder are also forms of economic violence. We can get exercised about physical violence, but we are far too silent about economic violence. The World Health Organization defines violence as “The intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community that either result in or has a high likelihood resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation.” Unpacking that definition, it is clear that this country was built on a
foundation of violence. Taking Native land and eliminating much of the Native population was violence. Enslaving African people was violence. Lynching was violence. More benignly but still harmful, mass incarceration, gentrification, segregation, and blighted schools are violence. We pass legislation to combat some forms of violence. We decry gang violence without asking where these gangs come from, how they were formed, and what in our culture glorifies violence. I will not make excuses for those who pick up guns and kill folks, even when it is young men shooting each other in the street. There are not enough “mental health” so-called explanations to contextualize the rabid monsters who shot up Black elders in Buffalo, New York, or baby Latino innocents in Uvalde, Texas. And there is no excuse for the economic violence that traps people in poverty-tinged existences with either inadequate housing or none, with food bank food or less. Poverty is a form of economic violence. Joblessness is a form of economic violence. Predatory capitalism is a form of economic violence, and many corporate entities benefit from economic violence. If we want to combat violence, we need to fight all of it, from the shootings in the streets to the racist killings in supermarkets to the capitalistic violence that pushes people into poverty that can generate nothing but pain, despair, and violence. The Safer Communities Plan is a step in the right direction, but it is a misstep if it hinges on putting more police on the streets. (Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author, and Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at Cal State LA. Juliannemalveaux.com)