Impeachment Is Not Enough

While the winds seem to be strengthening to blow Trump out of office, the question arises: will that cure the cancer that is infecting our nation, transforming it into a sickly form that doesn't resemble a real democracy? What is needed is more like an electric shock treatment that could awaken our consciousness to the fact that we have deviated from the vital path of democracy leading us towards the goals set out in the Preamble of the Constitution.

We already have enough information, which probably is just the tip of the iceberg, to know that the 2016 presidential election was totally fraudulent. Aside from possible meddling in the voting process by Trump's party with the help of Russia, and the preposterous claim of double voting by masses of people, the real fraud is the mass-prevention or elimination of votes by partisan voting officials and tampered voting machines heavily favoring the undemocratic Republican Party.

The evidence should be put forth to invalidate the entire election and to call for a new election. The constitution sets forth the procedure to hold a presidential election every fourth year. It does not say what should be done in the event an election is proven fraudulent. Merely swearing in the successful candidate or investigating those responsible for stealing the election does not legitimize the crime.

We should not expect Congress to go so far as to rescind the 2016 election. Many of its party loyalist members were voted in by the same fraudulent methods. Advocates for such a move might appeal to the Supreme Court to decide, as was done in the 2000 election controversy, but with little expectation for satisfaction there. As true patriots, advocates for a new election can only raise a storm of protest that might eventually result in a radical overhaul of the entire election process.

There is a long list of violations against fairness in the election process, including re-shuffling of representatives' voting districts, excluding qualified voters, manipulating the ballot box, and the gross distortions of propaganda, unscrupulous claims, and money-influence in political campaigning. If voting were mandatory, that alone might be a better system than what we have.

Voting rights of citizens is the Holy Grail of democracy and must be protected as the first line of defense against encroachment of its principles.