77 Comments
founding

This criminal and all of his buddies (Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, Right Wing Extremists) must be prosecuted and incarcerated.

There will be a huge outcry if they are not.

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We are, indeed, in this together, Joyce, but how fortunate we are to have you as our trusted and admired guide.

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How is it that so many lawyers trained at Harvard and Yale seem to be on the radical right?

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A movement was begun some decades ago (see Dark Money) by the Kochs and others from the Federalist Society to "infiltrate" the hallowed halls of liberal education. Specifically the Ivy League Universities et al. They endowed "chairs" and professors of right wing ideologies. For that they sweetened the coffers of the schools. Some students were given scholarships and stipends for a boost to their careers on the right. Schools of law, economics, religion and similar disciplines were especially targeted. By now, the zombies have thoroughly infiltrated our institutions.

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Greed and power.

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Bob, law school attracts sociopaths who look at a bar card and see a license to steal.

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So far, the jury trials that have happened, the jurors have had the bullshit detectors turned on full and have come back GUILTY GUILTY GUILTY. Hopefully that continues.

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Hope the prosecution does better than the Tom Barrack trial. .....just saying

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Tommy’s not out of the frying pan this go round. Even one conviction can earn you seven years of bad luck. 🍀

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It’s disheartening that he went to law school and still did not know any better

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Using his law experience to try to know to stay back from the fray and to sweet-talk the jury. Is he a member of the bar? If so,, hope he gets disbarred.

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Does law school teach ethics and morality, or does it teach what is legal and not legal?

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Law school teaches ethics, at least here in California. It would be impossible to cover everything that is illegal. But people should know that subversion of an election is illegal without the benefit of law school!

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Unfortunately, mostly the latter.

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He did and still does know better. He’s bitter and only greed and power lead him sadly to this denouement mistakenly thought of as his path forward.

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Law school does not teach students not to violate the law. (I am a lawyer!) I think it is assumed students take seriously that their role as attorneys is to be an officer of the courts.

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It can always go either way. Lawyers make choices too.

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There are tactical and strategic aspects of this trial, but as a reader, I'm frustrated that we readers have no political party that has been in sync with our ethics and values. I'm speaking of the national Democratic party.

In 2016 the party leaders and corporate media told voters that after Bernie Sanders won California but lost in North Caroline, that he was too outrageous to be elected. The machines went to work. The Democrats for Hilary and the Republicans against. But after generations of neglect of rural people by corporate Democrats, many of them in frustration, turned to Trump.

I worked in Lansing Michigan for George McGovern, I worked in Watts for Jessie Jackson and in 2016 for Jill Stein. Over the decades the Democrats had Patricia Schroeder, Gary Hart, Howard Dean, to name a few people that "couldn't be elected" for reasons that echo our National ignorance.

IF the Democrats can defeat the media and Republicans and win next week, a lesson must be digested by National Democrats that the new strategic and tactical realities must be implemented to foster better democracy for 2024 and beyond.

Biodiversity includes all life forms, not just the capitalists.

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And... somehow giving access to our history of America and how we arrived at this critical divide politically. Maybe public forums with people like Majority Whip Jim Clybyrn who recently did just that on MeidasTouch. I was truly enlightened.

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So, Bernie lost and you went to work for Jill Stein? At least it wasn’t the gorilla.

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If there is any justice left to be had, I dearly hope Rhodes gets a taste of it in a number of years along with his co-conspirators.

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He is creating his own path. No worries there inevitably.

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Thanks again Joyce. You always make mysterious laws easy to understand. Your students are very fortunate to have you.

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Does being Yale educated mean anything when accountability is missed?

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No

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Amazing how he backs down from riot to protest. If he wasn’t caught would he still be backing down or gearing up for another riot but next time use fire arms?

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Rhodes has just begun his fight and hopes to attract more devotees as a result of this trial playing the victim game. Heard that before?

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“the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances…” Just memorize this all in a bloc, roll it off your tongue. “What were you doing near the Capitol?” ‘I was exercising my right to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.’

Didn’t you see the violence? (Repeat) Were you trying to disrupt the proceedings? (Repeat) say riot, do not pass go do not collect $200, stupid.

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Thank you, Joyce, for this crystal-clear description of the charges brought against Rhodes. Having lived in a country (so far) not ruled by kings or nobles, I forget sometimes what a "jury of your peers" actually means. Pretty cool that our Founders solidified that idea through the Sixth Amendment!

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QRF has to be the most frightening part here. A group of citizens taking on the unauthorized role of using an attack force against the people we elected to government. And all they needed was Trump to give the word. That was all we had standing between our rule of law and insurrection.

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Starting in the early 80s most states started requiring prospective attorneys to pass an ethics exam as well as the bar exam. Most law schools teach ethics although those courses might not be required.

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Would like it to be a requirement in all states.

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It possibly is. I am most familiar with my own state. One who is privileged enough to get a law school education should use those powers for good.

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I'm waiting for these people to be charged with murder as well... Some of these charges just aren't enough for what took place in January 6th...

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as I previously wrote Joyce you have such a measured approach, it’s much appreciated.

I on the other hand am fed up with Elmer Rhodes, Michael Flynn, Roger Stone... I could go on and on. We’re dealing with people who have criminal minds. No sooner does one get put in jail, then we must deal with the next one in line. Whether they are outside of government or (sadly) in government they are aware of right and wrong but they are after the pursuit of power, lying is a way of life for them, and they will resort to any means possible to achieve their objectives.

Sadly, their followers don’t see that and never will.

May the midterm elections bring us some hope and relief.

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