Yesterday, the US House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump for inciting insurrection, in regard to the domestic attack on the US Capitol last week.
If it sounds like we've been here before, that's because we have. Except this time, things are a bit different. The first impeachment charges in 2019 were based on actions Trump supposedly took with the president of Ukraine. The argument was full of he said-she said allegations, and the votes to impeach and to acquit were based totally on party lines.
Next Wednesday, Joe Biden will be inaugurated as president. So why the fuss to impeach someone who won't even be in power in less than a week?
This time, for Congress, it was personal. The attack on the Capitol put their lives in danger. The angry mob was there at Trump's bidding and his behavior during and after the attack showed his support for their actions, rather than an attempt to calm things down. The rioters threatened to hang the Vice President and harm other Congressional leaders.
What happened at the Capitol last week was so egregious that there's a need to be clear these actions can't be tolerated. The people who stormed the building have threatened to bring about more violence in Washington and at statehouses throughout the country. There should be justice for the people who died last week, including a Capitol Police officer who was beaten while in the line of duty.
Members of both parties voted for impeachment yesterday. It's time for both sides to come together and address what the inflamed rhetoric has wrought.
Because if we don't call out behavior that's unacceptable, we set a dangerous precedent. As bad as last week was, allowing deja vu to happen all over again would be even worse.