Mariella Gattini

All this time I have been listening. I have been listening to my characters in the new story I’ve embarked on, and I’ve also been listening to the bright minds who are committed to clarifying the facts that led the Grand Jury in the District of Columbia to issue an indictment on August 1st, 2023. This indictment names Donald J. Trump as the Defendant in four violations:

“Count 1: Conspiracy to Defraud the United States.
Count 2: Conspiracy to Obstruct an Official Proceeding.
Count 3: Obstruction of and Attempt to Obstruct an Official Proceeding.
Count 4: Conspiracy Against Rights.”

Despite the fact that he has been indicted on three other instances (in New York, Florida, and recently in Georgia) in proceedings that are on-going as we speak, I would like to focus on the one I mentioned in the above paragraph, since it’s the most significant of them all, although the other indictments also alleged serious crimes committed by the former president.

This ex-president’s intent to keep being the TV president he so aspires to be, he pursued to not only buy himself another term, his main purpose was to remain in power. Even today, he thinks he can grab the presidential power from here to eternity, because, when you are a reality-TV president, you are a president for life. The rest of us, well, we are so stupid that we don’t understand his fragility and his deep desire to step on everyone else, because, you know, he thinks he’s better than any of us.

He still doesn’t understand that TV is just TV, and that Mr. Ed has a bigger chance to achieve the immortality he so very much craves, because, “a horse is a horse, of course, of course.”

This time I don’t feel I’m on my own, because I’ve become aware of men like Jack Smith, who is committed to the rule of law this country should be all about. He has provided us with a clear road map to this indictment which has become a crucial stepping stone for clarity in our way to justice. Because this indictment should not be about Trump and his delusions, this indictment should be about the rest of us and the way we should cooperate with the clarification of things, since Trump supporters are as deranged as he is, so we can’t count on them for help, at all. We know this country can’t afford to pay attention to them anymore. We have serious problems that we should be addressing right now, such as the impact of global warming on every business, healthcare, and individual issue. The disinformation coming from Trump, his lawyers, and the Republican Party are only distractions that overwhelm the communication pathways, because that’s all they are—noise. Trump does not have a legitimate defense, that’s why his lawyer, John F. Lauro, is trying to transform this indictment into an attack against the First Amendment, but Mr. Lauro knows that this affirmation does not hold water in court, so he’s trying to take the case to the court of public opinion. His only alternative is to portray his client as a shrinking violet, who was only trying to express his opinion about the election of 2020. His game is dangerous, especially for his client, because in the court of public opinion you can not only find his client’s deranged base, you can also find the rest of us, who, poll after poll, have demonstrated to the world that we have more brains than his client thinks we have. This defendant’s racism, misogyny, and disrespect for the rule of law is going against him day after day, in a situation that he created for himself.

This indictment is clear in stating that all of the charges were able to be identified with the help of Trump’s very same co-conspirators, who were known by the Grand Jury. Everyone testifying against Trump, even on TV, are Republicans, not Democrats. So, this is not a political persecution orchestrated by Democrats as this defendant wants everybody to believe, this is about a thorough, professional, and well-worded indictment. Trump has already been arraigned and a hearing was scheduled for this August 28th, when they’ll set the date for his trial. In this trial, he’s not going to testify on his behalf, most probably, because he can’t help himself. He’s very arrogant when it comes to his outbursts of rage on social media or when confronted with a woman journalist, but that arrogance doesn’t play well in court, where every rule and demeanor counts and makes the difference between being found guilty or not guilty.

In school I learned that it’s very difficult for people to acknowledge an emergency situation. We all think, theoretically, that we would identify an emergency and immediately act to respond effectively once confronted with it. The reality is that people naturally value conformity far more than a fast response against some imminent peril. We, as a country, have a problem, a problem that goes beyond the defendant in this case, and beyond this country. We are faced with the real and concrete possibility of losing what is most precious—the budding democracy that we have painstakingly built based on this republic. The house is on fire, and we need to pay attention to firefighters like Jack Smith, who, by the way, is a conservative.

I understand those who feel there is nothing they can do about it, because the majority of people in this country works for somebody else, or their business depends on other bigger businesses to survive. I understand. I’ve been listening to you, too. What I’m suggesting is to simply pay attention. My only hope is that you never become indifferent to what is going on, because as Voltaire said, “No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking.” That’s all I’m asking. If you pay attention and use your own head and think, more than one constructive idea will come to you, I’m sure. Constructive ideas are the base for any sustainable world that invites stability to set in as a firm ground for everyone to stand upon. This mental strength is powerful individually, and invincible when collective. That’s it, that’s all we need—being mentally united in our common cause for the survival of our species in this country and around the world. And always remember that intimidation is in the hands of the intimidated. You are as intimidated as you allow yourself to be.