Commentary

Christmas Gifts from Our Democracy

For lovers of democracy (and if you are reading this surely that means you), the news has blessed us with some noteworthy early Christmas/Happy Holidays/seasonal gifting. First, if you didn’t feel a little warm glow when the news first broke, you have to understand that we are all Lady Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss.

Published

12 months ago

December 27, 2023

Oakland Post

Thank you for taking the time for these words. Happy Holidays to everyone connected to the Post, most especially its dear readers.

Commentary

By Emil Guillermo

For lovers of democracy (and if you are reading this surely that means you), the news has blessed us with some noteworthy early Christmas/Happy Holidays/seasonal gifting.

First, if you didn’t feel a little warm glow when the news first broke, you have to understand that we are all Lady Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss.

You know them. They are the Georgia election workers, the ones who Trump’s lawyer and now disgraced leaky hair colorist Rudy Giuliani said were passing a USB drive to each other — proof, somehow, of some digital malfeasance to help steal the 2020 election from Donald Trump.

In fact, there was no such attempt to steal anything from anybody. The USB drive was a piece of ginger candy.

The whole thing was a lie told by Giuliani to perpetuate the “Big Lie,” that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump.

Earlier a federal district judge in Washington, D.C. ruled that Giuliani’s lies defamed Freeman and Moss, whose lives were turned upside down.

They couldn’t go out in public for fear they’d be retaliated against by Trump’s MAGA zealots. Freeman couldn’t run her businesses. Moss began doubting democracy.

And then last week the jury ordered Giuliani to pay Freeman and Moss $148 million in damages. That breaks down to $75 million in punitive damages. Add $16.2 million in compensatory damages to Freeman, and $16.9 million to Moss, as well as $20 million to each of them for emotional suffering, and you have the price for justice in a defamation case.

That’s what lies on top of lies will cost in America if you’re Rudy Giuliani defending Donald Trump.

Giuliani didn’t take the witness stand in his own defense. But he did talk to the media at every juncture saying just wait, he’d provide evidence backing him up. “Stay tuned,” he said.

But he never did. When you’re a liar, you lose in a court of law. The only place for you is the court of public opinion, which is why Giuliani kept lying in impromptu sidewalk press conferences. For all those lies, Freeman and Moss slapped Giuliani with a second defamation suit on Monday.

It’s Giuliani as a combination lying and human ATM. Still, collecting money from him will be tougher than you think. Even Freeman and Moss admit while the $148 million award is good, no amount of money will undo the damage they incurred from lies told by Giuliani and Trump himself. (Trump actually named Freeman specifically on a recorded call. That’s another suit waiting to happen).

For now, a federal court has verified and awarded damages on Giuliani’s lies. Score one for justice and truth.

Hooray?

GOP PREFERENCE FOR CRIMINALS

As I’ve said, Trumpers tend to discount the court of law and prefer the court of public opinion where lies outweigh facts.

And then even when the facts are outrageously damning, e.g. the criminality in Trump as per being indicted four times with 91 felony counts, Republicans simply don’t care.

They see a bad guy and still support him for president because he is their bad guy.

Seventy percent of Republicans believe if Trump wins the GOP primary and is convicted, he should still be the nominee, according to a New York Times/Sienna College poll.

To Republicans, more important than justice is a sense of restored power. It’s the real fear we should have in our democracy right now. Some people prefer justice not for all, but for some. And that likely doesn’t include you or me.

COLORADO COURT RULING

And that brings us to the other gift in the news, the Colorado State Supreme Court has ruled Trump is ineligible for the ballot in that state based on the insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment in the U.S. Constitution.

Colorado’s highest court ruled 4-3 that Trump be removed from the state’s primary ballot, saying that on Jan. 6, 2021 Trump “incited and encouraged the use of violence and lawless action to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power.”

Legal experts say the court’s ruling is “unassailable.” But that’s not going to stop Trump from playing victim and using it to show his followers that the establishment is out to get him.

Expect the U.S. Supreme Court to take the case, and all that might bring. Would Justice Clarence Thomas be forced to recuse himself because his wife was texting on Jan. 6 encouraging insurrection?

How rich would that be if the vote was 4-4 and Thomas was the tiebreaker?

Add all this to Trump’s diabolical devil’s journey through our democracy: Four criminal indictments, plus civil cases involving sexual abuse, business abuses — and now this.

It’s the ugly beauty of our democracy. The truth is all out there. Just don’t forget to vote or the bad guys will win.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

I was walking through Oakland recently and went past my old office on College Avenue. All the other businesses had changed, but Thelma still had her art gallery. Down the block, at a new café, I saw an old Filipino American activist I’ve known since the 80s when he was protesting U.S.-backed dictators. Finally, I made it to a PEN Oakland event at the Rockridge Library, when a young woman of Kenyan descent came up to me and said, “I read your columns in the Post.”

That’s a reminder that I am writing for all of you. Thank you for taking the time for these words. Happy Holidays to everyone connected to the Post, most especially its dear readers.

Emil Guillermo is a journalist and commentator. He does a secret talk show on YouTube.com/@emilamok1

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Oakland Post: Week of December 18 – 24, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of December 18 – 24, 2024

Published

1 day ago

December 20, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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‘Donald Trump Is Not a God:’ Rep. Bennie Thompson Blasts Trump’s Call to Jail Him

“Donald Trump is not a god,” U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., told The Grio during a recent interview, reacting to Trump’s unsupported claims that the congressman, along with other committee members like vice chair and former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, destroyed evidence throughout the investigation.

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Congressman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said he not intimidated by President-elect Donald Trump, who, during an interview on “Meet the Press,” called for the congressman to be jailed for his role as chairman of the special congressional committee investigating Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, mob attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“Donald Trump is not a god,” Thompson told The Grio during a recent interview, reacting to Trump’s unsupported claims that the congressman, along with other committee members like vice chair and former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, destroyed evidence throughout the investigation.

“He can’t prove it, nor has there been any other proof offered, which tells me that he really doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” said the 76-year-old lawmaker, who maintained that he and the bipartisan Jan. 6 Select Committee – which referred Trump for criminal prosecution – were exercising their constitutional and legislative duties.

“When someone disagrees with you, that doesn’t make it illegal; that doesn’t even make it wrong,” Thompson said, “The greatness of this country is that everyone can have their own opinion about any subject, and so for an incoming president who disagrees with the work of Congress to say ‘because I disagree, I want them jailed,’ is absolutely unbelievable.”

When asked by The Grio if he is concerned about his physical safety amid continued public ridicule from Trump, whose supporters have already proven to be violent, Thompson said, “I think every member of Congress here has to have some degree of concern, because you just never know.”

This story is based on a report from The Grio.

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City of Oakland Celebrates Reopening of Main Library

“Libraries are such critical facilities for all Oaklanders, whether it’s children coming to story-time, adults reading the newspapers or borrowing the latest novels, and people engaging with a range of services and programs that the library hosts,” said Council President and District 2 Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas. “Such library services and programs are only possible when the facility’s electricity, heating, roof, and lighting are fixed and running efficiently. I’m proud to join this re-opening of our Main Public Library.”

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Left to Right- Jamie Turbak, Director of Library Services, LaTonda Simmons, Assistant City Administrator, Nikki Bas, President Oakland City Council, Shen Thao, Mayor of Oakland, Carroll Fife, Oakland City Councilmember District 3, Harold Duffey, Assistant City Administrator, Sean Maher, Projects Coordinator. Photo by Kevin Hicks.

The branch had been closed since May for critical infrastructure upgrades

Special to the Post

The City of Oakland leadership and community partners gathered to celebrate the reopening of the Main Library after completion of critical infrastructure upgrades to enhance the library’s facilities and provide a better experience for patrons.

Renovations include new roof installation, skylight repair, critical electrical system upgrades, new boiler control system installation, auditorium heating and cooling system installation, and improvements to lighting, flooring and ceilings throughout the building.

“This is truly something to celebrate, the reopening of our wonderful Main Library! I congratulate the staff and our partners for this important project to make the Main Library a more comfortable place for everyone for years to come, said Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. “Thank you to Oakland voters and the California State Library for making these crucial improvements possible.”

“Public libraries are a wonderful resource for our residents, offering a safe space for learning and being,” said District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife. “It is critical to improve and modernize our libraries so more members of our community can utilize and enjoy them. I’m excited that the necessary renovations to the Main Library have been completed successfully and thank everyone involved, particularly the City team, who helped secured the necessary grant funds for this work.”

“I am proud of the City staff and project partners who kept this important project on schedule and under budget,” said Assistant City Administrator G. Harold Duffey. “The library is an incredibly important resource for our community members, and this project is an investment into the library’s future.”

“December 2nd was a momentous occasion for Oakland Public Library as we proudly reopened the doors of the Main Library following extensive infrastructure repairs,” said Director of Library Services Jamie Turbak. “Closing the Main Library for six months was no easy decision, as it serves as the central hub for our library system and is truly the heart of Oakland. Yet, this renovation was essential, representing more than just physical upgrades—it reflects our ongoing commitment to creating a safe, welcoming space for everyone.”

The City Administrator Jestin Johnson also attended the press conference and signalled his support for the completion of the record-setting completion of the renovations. Gay Plair Cobb, a newly appointed Library Commissioner said the Library represents the soul and brains of our community.

The Oakland Public Library secured funding for these crititcal repairs through a variety of sources. The California State Library’s Building Forward Library Facilities Improvement Program awarded the Main Branch $4.2 million. To comply with the grant terms, the City of Oakland provided matching funds through Measures KK, as approved by the Oakland City Council in October 2023.

The Main Library will host an Open House to celebrate the reopening on February 22, 2025, 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

About the Oakland Public Library

The Oakland Public Library is a part of the City of Oakland in California and has been in existence since 1878. Locations include 16 neighborhood branches, a Main Library, a Second Start Adult Literacy Program, the Oakland Tool Lending Library, and the African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO). The Oakland Public Library empowers all people to explore, connect, and grow. Oaklandlibrary.org