Dear President Trump,

All day I’ve been asking myself if I can really stand by my position that the biggest, most consequential question of our lifetimes is whether the Democrats will step up and stop waffling on impeachment. It’s a bold claim since it spans the lifetimes of the youngest newborn baby and that of the oldest person on the planet, which together could be 200+ years. Of course the relative impact of the answer is far greater on the baby than the ancient-of-days person, but that’s not really my point right now, though it is important.

No doubt other people looking at things from different times and places will disagree with me, and that’s ok. But from my vantage point, whether there is a forceful, definitive check on you and your administration, or there is not, is so momentous and has so many far-reaching implications that it is the central question upon which everything else rests.

If the Democrats (with or without Republicans) do not step up and press the case for impeachment, you and your sordid machine will have won even if you lose the next election. The Mercers, Vladimir, and whoever else conspired to get you elected will have succeeded in so compromising the rule of law and our democracy that they will have locked things in for a slicker, smarter autocrat the election after next, and from there on out (whether you win re-election or not).

I do realize the chances of impeachment actually happening are slim to none given your feckless GOP shield. I also realize there could be political fallout for the Democrats from going down that road. But the moral and ethical consequences to the country of not making the attempt promise to be far more destructive. Basically, it boils down to this – you, your campaign, and your administration have engaged in egregiously immoral, unethical, and despicable behavior and thus far, the Constitutionally mandated checks and balances have not been effectively deployed in response and if this does not change soon, we are hosed for the foreseeable future.

How will we be hosed? My crystal ball tells me that if the Democrats are seen as having rolled over, they cannot be effective in any quarter. Thus, we will not have meaningful campaign or election reform and we will not effectively address gerrymandering, let alone the Electoral College. These things, in turn, mean we will not deal with climate change, environmental degradation, gun violence, our decaying infrastructure, wealth and health disparities, or any of the other zillion substantive issues facing us that require people who respect one another to civilly hash out compromises for the common good so there can be viable futures for the babies. If we are effectively a corrupt one-party nation, not only will legions of elderly people have to die knowing their country’s grand experiment in democracy was a failure, but countless babies will grow up with their wings clipped and their spirits quashed without even realizing what we squandered.

May our leaders be safe to lead.
May we exhort them to do right by us all.
May we truly prioritize our country’s and our world’s health.
May a peace that precludes greed, unchecked power, and immorality prevail.

Sincerely,
Tracy Simpson