Let’s pretend, shall we?

I am presuming that most of the citizens of Newton and surrounding environs have not, nor intend to watch, the Jan. 6 hearings being held by the United States Congress. It is clear that a sitting president of the United States, for the first time in the history of this country, attempted to take over our national government after having been defeated in the 2020 election. He may have succeeded if he had been competent.

Some will maintain to this day that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. The former president knew then and knows now he did not win that election. That, however, is the “great make believe.” Since he maintains he won the election, his devoted followers also maintain that he won the election. And the only way to explain why he is not president today is because of fraud.

In excess of 60 lawsuits were filed in various jurisdictions after the election, many by that shining example of American manhood and legal scholar Rudy Giuliani. Each and every one was dismissed, not simply for a lack of evidence, but for a lack of probable cause to even go forward.

There have been numerous books published during Trump’s regime and since that adequately show Trump to be a really nasty human being, one with few if any redeeming qualities. And yet he continues to be adored by a vast number of Americans. This is more frightening than puzzling. These vast numbers of Americans are joined by Iowa’s elected representatives. I must confess that I follow our two senators, Ernst and Grassley and representative Feenstra on Twitter. It is truly amazing how our elected representatives have collectively decided that the Jan. 6 hearings don’t exist. You can visualize now: “What hearings? I don’t know anything about any hearings. In Congress you mean?”

The citizens of this state who elect these people and who support them, are not simply ignorant. Everyone knows what happened on Jan. 6, 2020. The really frightening thing is they don’t care. They do not care that for the first time in the history of the United States of America A sitting president attempted to take over the government of the United States. These are the same people who waved the American flag from the front lawn and insist on singing the national anthem at every sporting event — they are patriots.

I have no answer to this, but only to ask: What is it that you want? There are very few forms of government out there to choose from. What is it you want if not a republic where the people decide who is to be the president and senators and representatives. Speak your piece and tell us!

Richard E H Phelps II

Mingo