It didn't matter until it happened to someone you knew. Yet even now, you pretend like this was done by the "US government" - which - while factually true - still remains a fact of omission.
It's not all of the US government. It is not only the US government.
It is a group of people whom you still refuse to hold accountable for their, at the least, passive choice to participate in this cruelty.
Republicans.
This is a group of people who specifically have chosen this cruelty.
Not just Stephen Miller, Bannon, Rubio, the usual suspects.
But equally, the Youngkins, Durants, Wittmans, Diggs, and yes, even Kenneys whom you choose to give a pass to.
We are, or at least purport to be, a representative form of government. There is no royalty. All are equal under the law. At least that's what we say. They chose this.
So, when the leaders of that group/party/cult/movement/whatever do exactly what they have openly promised to do - not only by this cruelty, but in so many other ways (corruption, war, secret police, arbitrary tax laws, ....) - it is not happening because of some faceless bureaucrat in the far off land of Washington DC (which seems odd anyway to be heard as an excuse to an outsider when it happens in a place that is literally one of its suburbs) - but to acknowledge that this is purely due to Republicans.
Look. If you're waiting on some magic bean type of photo to pop up out of the Epstein files that shows Epstein holding one end of a Junior Miss America pageant contestant while Trump's molesting the other end, all I can say - is if I ever get charged with a crime, I sure want you to be on the jury and give me just half the consideration you give him.
Though I know you won't.
You've got an 80 year old slumlord from Queens whose legion of victims are varied enough to put any DEI purists to shame. Contractors, wives, customers, citizens, aliens, porn stars, allies, enemies, colleges, students, businesses,... I mean, you couldn't make up a more inclusive list if you tried.
A person convicted of over 30 felonies that would disqualify him from flippng burgers at McDonalds, despite untold wealth, power, and deference - and he escaped even more serious charges only because the American people decided that as bad as all that was; it was still better than having a Democratic black woman in office.
And folks like you still pretend to claim ignorance of these policies, despite Republicans literally publishing a book stating they were going to do these things. And then following that playbook ever since.
So the questions are not why these things are happening. In immigration, taxation, healthcare, corruption, the environment, energy policy (see where the $11 billion Dominion Energy wind farm just got arbitrarily stopped because of "national security" without notice or debate - how's your data center gonna run now?), etc..
But the questions are rather why still keep pretending this has nothing to do with those locally who have supported these things?
And why does it only matter to you when it happens to someone you know?
I'm sorry for this lady, I am. And hope it is resolved for her. It is a cruelty, and yes the cruelty is the policy, despite all of our guarantees against such things.
But I am equally sorry for the millions that it happened to before you cared. They mattered too.
Rights not protected for everyone are rights that exist for no one.
Republicans have just announced a diplomatic policy to the world that only money matters, not principle. We are in the process of invading Venezuela, yet where's Robb Wittman?
Secret police are scooping up our citizens upon mere suspicion, not probable cause without wearing so much as a name tags, their faces hidden. Where's Dauntey Diggs or Sheriff Decatur?
Revered state universities are being purged over purity tests, shaken down for millions of dollars, federal employees who are Virginia citizens are fired for cause without due process, and Virginia businesses are having to operate under conditions that change hourly? Where in the hell is Youngkin?
Medicines and food are left to rot and expire in warehouses rather than being delivered as promised, authorized by Congress, and paid for by US taxpayers, leading to thousands of deaths.
Where are those of so righteous Christians who tell us how holy they are? Or when our tax dollars pay for genocide?
As our former allies, principles, and Constitution are now openly abandoned and attacked, despite all of the blood and wealth spent to defend them; where are all those "proud and loud" veterans hiding who are more than happy to jump up to applause at a ball game and wave to the crowd, get the 10% discount at Home Depot, the free healthcare at the VA, or the welfare of my tax dollars on their personal property taxes - where are they? Did their oath to the Constitution have an expiration date? Mine didn't. At least not to me.
And yes, why does it only matter to you when something like this happens when it happens to someone you know and like?
This is not only our town. It is our state, our country, our species, our world. We have free will, we have knowledge.
We are also ones of the fortunate few that live in a place and time where we have a say in what happens. In a way, we are all kings. But only if we choose to exercise it. Which is both a privilege and a responsibility.
But it has to be predicated on a belief that all matter, not just those you know, or those you read about in the news.
We'll spend the next year celebrating 56 men of privilege that were willing to bet everything they had, including their lives to create and defend such a place. We'll do so as a matter of thanks and gratitude.
Wouldn't they be better pleased if we'd still do the same? And not merely say it, but do it.
We may not have wanted this fight, we may not have wished it.
But it is here. It is happening, right in front of us, as much as we wish or pretend otherwise. These are our times. This is our fight.
How will you choose? What kind of world do you want your grandchildren to live in?
The choices we make today will decide.
Choose wisely, but don't wait too long, because that too is a choice.
Thanks for all the great reporting on this travesty of justice. Minor clarification: She had no criminal record. Failing to obey a highway sign is a traffic infraction, not a criminal offense.
Our country is being controlled by a man who is arguably insane. Now that the Catholic Conference of Bishops has condemned Trump's immigration horrors let's hope the Catholic members of the Supreme Court have the courage to stop him.
And there it is.
It didn't matter until it happened to someone you knew. Yet even now, you pretend like this was done by the "US government" - which - while factually true - still remains a fact of omission.
It's not all of the US government. It is not only the US government.
It is a group of people whom you still refuse to hold accountable for their, at the least, passive choice to participate in this cruelty.
Republicans.
This is a group of people who specifically have chosen this cruelty.
Not just Stephen Miller, Bannon, Rubio, the usual suspects.
But equally, the Youngkins, Durants, Wittmans, Diggs, and yes, even Kenneys whom you choose to give a pass to.
We are, or at least purport to be, a representative form of government. There is no royalty. All are equal under the law. At least that's what we say. They chose this.
So, when the leaders of that group/party/cult/movement/whatever do exactly what they have openly promised to do - not only by this cruelty, but in so many other ways (corruption, war, secret police, arbitrary tax laws, ....) - it is not happening because of some faceless bureaucrat in the far off land of Washington DC (which seems odd anyway to be heard as an excuse to an outsider when it happens in a place that is literally one of its suburbs) - but to acknowledge that this is purely due to Republicans.
Look. If you're waiting on some magic bean type of photo to pop up out of the Epstein files that shows Epstein holding one end of a Junior Miss America pageant contestant while Trump's molesting the other end, all I can say - is if I ever get charged with a crime, I sure want you to be on the jury and give me just half the consideration you give him.
Though I know you won't.
You've got an 80 year old slumlord from Queens whose legion of victims are varied enough to put any DEI purists to shame. Contractors, wives, customers, citizens, aliens, porn stars, allies, enemies, colleges, students, businesses,... I mean, you couldn't make up a more inclusive list if you tried.
A person convicted of over 30 felonies that would disqualify him from flippng burgers at McDonalds, despite untold wealth, power, and deference - and he escaped even more serious charges only because the American people decided that as bad as all that was; it was still better than having a Democratic black woman in office.
And folks like you still pretend to claim ignorance of these policies, despite Republicans literally publishing a book stating they were going to do these things. And then following that playbook ever since.
So the questions are not why these things are happening. In immigration, taxation, healthcare, corruption, the environment, energy policy (see where the $11 billion Dominion Energy wind farm just got arbitrarily stopped because of "national security" without notice or debate - how's your data center gonna run now?), etc..
But the questions are rather why still keep pretending this has nothing to do with those locally who have supported these things?
And why does it only matter to you when it happens to someone you know?
I'm sorry for this lady, I am. And hope it is resolved for her. It is a cruelty, and yes the cruelty is the policy, despite all of our guarantees against such things.
But I am equally sorry for the millions that it happened to before you cared. They mattered too.
Rights not protected for everyone are rights that exist for no one.
Republicans have just announced a diplomatic policy to the world that only money matters, not principle. We are in the process of invading Venezuela, yet where's Robb Wittman?
Secret police are scooping up our citizens upon mere suspicion, not probable cause without wearing so much as a name tags, their faces hidden. Where's Dauntey Diggs or Sheriff Decatur?
Revered state universities are being purged over purity tests, shaken down for millions of dollars, federal employees who are Virginia citizens are fired for cause without due process, and Virginia businesses are having to operate under conditions that change hourly? Where in the hell is Youngkin?
Medicines and food are left to rot and expire in warehouses rather than being delivered as promised, authorized by Congress, and paid for by US taxpayers, leading to thousands of deaths.
Where are those of so righteous Christians who tell us how holy they are? Or when our tax dollars pay for genocide?
As our former allies, principles, and Constitution are now openly abandoned and attacked, despite all of the blood and wealth spent to defend them; where are all those "proud and loud" veterans hiding who are more than happy to jump up to applause at a ball game and wave to the crowd, get the 10% discount at Home Depot, the free healthcare at the VA, or the welfare of my tax dollars on their personal property taxes - where are they? Did their oath to the Constitution have an expiration date? Mine didn't. At least not to me.
And yes, why does it only matter to you when something like this happens when it happens to someone you know and like?
This is not only our town. It is our state, our country, our species, our world. We have free will, we have knowledge.
We are also ones of the fortunate few that live in a place and time where we have a say in what happens. In a way, we are all kings. But only if we choose to exercise it. Which is both a privilege and a responsibility.
But it has to be predicated on a belief that all matter, not just those you know, or those you read about in the news.
We'll spend the next year celebrating 56 men of privilege that were willing to bet everything they had, including their lives to create and defend such a place. We'll do so as a matter of thanks and gratitude.
Wouldn't they be better pleased if we'd still do the same? And not merely say it, but do it.
We may not have wanted this fight, we may not have wished it.
But it is here. It is happening, right in front of us, as much as we wish or pretend otherwise. These are our times. This is our fight.
How will you choose? What kind of world do you want your grandchildren to live in?
The choices we make today will decide.
Choose wisely, but don't wait too long, because that too is a choice.
Just a thought.
Merry Christmas.
Thanks for all the great reporting on this travesty of justice. Minor clarification: She had no criminal record. Failing to obey a highway sign is a traffic infraction, not a criminal offense.
We are waiting and hoping to see basic human decency going viral.
Our country is being controlled by a man who is arguably insane. Now that the Catholic Conference of Bishops has condemned Trump's immigration horrors let's hope the Catholic members of the Supreme Court have the courage to stop him.
Did you not run Donnie Johnston’s article this Wednesday? I looked but couldn’t find one this week at all.