IT'S TIME TO IMPEACH

I'm going to go off the standard southern insights for this post and touch on something more national, if I may.  

If you're like me, you've grown more than irritated in seeing those articles and videos (lots and lots of videos) posted everywhere which decry 'This Reporter Slams Trump!' or 'That Celebrity Eviscerates Trump!' each and every one of them shows some person of interest (reporter, senator, celebrity, soccer mom) all speaking simply the truth of the lies and terrible leadership skills that President Trump has shown in his first 3/4 year in office.

Basically, the one thing so many of us want to happen is to have  Trump Impeached. But the question remains: WHEN? Ok, so why not now?  Your next question might be 'what does it take to impeach?' Let's get down and dirty and get the information we need now and quickly.

First and foremost, Impeachment is decided and instigated by the House Judiciary Committee, which then turns to the Senate to convict.  

Historically, this committee has issued Articles of Impeachment for acts in three general categories:

 1 - Exceeding the constitutional bounds of the powers of the office.

 2 - Behavior grossly incompatible with the proper function and purpose of the office.

 3 - Employing the power of the office for an improper purpose or for personal gain.

It has been suggested that Trump has exceeded the bounds of office, but no one can actually state for sure, even though most Americans feel he has.  As for numbers 2 and 3 above? Trump seems mostly concerned with number 2 (no pun intended.) and more and more it seems Trump is concerned with  #3, making money for himself and his "1%" friends.

So, with this knowledge, what can we do?  It's time to force Impeachment Proceedings.  In order to do that, we need everyone to ACT NOW!  

1. Write your Congressman and Senator.  You can do this quickly using Resistbot. Text 50409 with the Word RESIST, and follow the instructions.  
2. Sign petitions. Click here to Sign the Petition
3. Contact the members of the Judicial Committee and demand they begin impeachment proceedings
4. Share this page with your friends, your co-workers, your dog groomer - in short - everyone.

Below is a list of the Judicial Committee members and their email addresses. Most of them only accept email contact from their constituents, but the Chairman has a House.Gov email address.  Here is what to say: 

"As a taxpaying and voting citizen of [Your State] I am formally demanding that the House Judiciary Committee begin the immediate impeachment of President Donald Trump on the grounds of behavior grossly incompatible with the proper function and purpose of the office of the Presidency as well as employing the power of the office for personal gain." [Be Sure to include your full name.]

Here is the list of Current House Judiciary Committee Members. Everyone should email the Chairman, Bob Goodlatte. There are also 3 names below that accept emails from anyone*. For the rest, find your Congressman on the list and use the address/email form beside their name and send them the above letter.

..REPUBLICANS.. (Majority)
Chairman Bob Goodlatte (VA-06)	EMail Bob Goodlatte
Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, Jr. (WI-05)	Contact Page
Rep. Lamar Smith (TX-21)	Contact Page
Rep. Steve Chabot (OH-01)	Contact Page
Rep. Darrell Issa (CA-49)	Contact Page
Rep. Steve King (IA-04)	Contact Page
Rep. Trent Franks (AZ-08)	Contact Page
Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-01)	Contact Page
Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-04)	Contact Page
Rep. Ted Poe (TX-02)	Contact Page
Rep. Tom Marino (PA-10)	Contact Page
Rep. Trey Gowdy (SC-04)	Contact Page*
Rep. Raúl Labrador (ID-01)	Contact Page
Rep. Blake Farenthold (TX-27)	Contact Page
Rep. Doug Collins (GA-09)	Contact Page
Rep. Ron DeSantis (FL-06)	Contact Page
Rep. Ken Buck (CO-04)	Contact Page
Rep. John Ratcliffe (TX-04)	Contact Page
Rep. Martha Roby (AL-02)	Contact Page
Rep. Matt Gaetz (FL-01)	Contact Page
Rep. Mike Johnson (LA-04)	Contact Page
Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05)	Contact Page
Rep. John Rutherford (FL-04)	Contact Page
Rep. Karen Handel (GA-06)	Contact Page
..DEMOCRATS.. (Minority)
Ranking Member John Conyers (MI-13)	Contact Page
Rep. Jerry Nadler (NY-10)	Contact Page*
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-19)	Contact Page
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18)	Contact Page
Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-09)	Contact Page
Rep. Hank Johnson, Jr. (GA-04)	Contact Page
Rep. Ted Deutch (FL-22)	Contact Page*
Rep. Luis Gutierrez (IL-04)	Contact Page
Rep. Karen Bass (CA-37)	Contact Page
Rep. Cedric Richmond (LA-02)	Contact Page
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08)	Contact Page
Rep. David Cicilline (RI-01)	Contact Page
Rep. Eric Swalwell (CA-15)	Contact Page
Rep. Ted Lieu (CA-33)	Contact Page
Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08)	Contact Page
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07)	Contact Page
Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10)	Contact Page

* These Representatives allow emails from anyone.

Family, At All Costs

Southern people are family oriented. Anytime there is a gathering, it's always a family gathering. Big families or little families, it's an important connection.  And it's amazing to me to see several generations of the same family all living in the same little holler* and seeing each other every day. I grew up in a close family, but we now live in different parts of the country and rarely actually see each other face to face.We communicate a lot, but distance keeps it down to emails and social media. Even if we had only landlines and snail mail, we would regularly connect.  I know this.  Family is important. 

Which makes it all the more confusing to hear stories of families who don't speak to one another. To me this is hard to understand.  I hear stories all the time about "Oh I haven't spoken to my brother since he broke my pen in the 3rd grade."  or "She wore my blouse and stained it and I haven't spoken a word to her since."  Of course I'm making light of this with insignificant examples. To me, regardless of the transgression, regardless of the affront, there has to be a way in which we stay in communication.  I've had cross words with my family and yet we still stay in touch.  We live at opposite ends of the country but we still do what it takes to stay a family.

30 years ago, I had the misfortune of attending my great aunt's funeral.  She was one of 11 children and was the last of her siblings.  I remember her saying "Well, there's only me now." Without family, she was feeling lost. Most of them had lived close their whole lives. AND they stayed in constant contact. (This, before cell phones and social media!) She died less than a year later. The connection to family is life giving, life sustaining, important beyond your-my-their needs or wants. Do whatever you can do keep that connection from being lost.  This is why we're here, to be part of that family part of that connection, part of that love.  

Look at those people who pop up on the news, relatives of some mad bomber or murderer. There they are, supporting their kid, their brother, their family, even after he/she's brought down the full weight of the media and the world on them.  Why?  Family.  The ties that bind. A connection that cannot, should not be denied. It allows them to say "We love you in spite of what you've done, what we've done, what's been done; and we're beside you regardless of those events."

Why we choose to cut off a family member is not as important as realizing that the connection is lost.  Be it a blood relation of sister, brother, mother, father or cousin or the family and extended family, adopted brothers, children, step fathers, step children, the list goes on.  Love does that. I would say "Blood does that" but we all know that true family goes beyond blood. Love does not cut ties. Love doesn't hold a grudge. Love doesn't determine who's worthy or not. At least it shouldn't. It doesn't matter what happened in the past. Leave it there.  Create new memories now and in the future before it's too late.  When you or they are gone, there is no going back and rekindling the love you once had.

And if you're the one that broke the connection, there is hope. You see that connection is still there, still waiting for you.  Regardless of what you've done, or said, or felt or thought, family is family.  

I could fill this little blog post with all manner of quotes both biblical and secular about how family is above all; forgiveness is more important than anything but the one thing that matters is that  you need that person, those people, in your life. You need it, they need it we all need it.  No matter how large of a transgression, no matter of what was said, Familial Love conquers all. That connection stands far and above any  misunderstanding you may have.  Look past it, look at the love.

There is no time like the present to reconnect.

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*In the south east mountains of the united states holler is used instead of hollow; a small rising valley region between two hills or mountains;often containing a creek or other fresh water source.