The purpose of this story is one thing, and one thing only: To express our solidarity with former FBI lawyer Lisa Page and former FBI agent Peter Strzok.
1) Background: Fellow DK-ers: by now you have probably read of the incident wherein Trump mocked former FBI lawyer Lisa Page by doing an impression of a faked orgasm. On stage. At one of his rallies. If you haven’t seen this yet, read up, and note that even the BBC described it in exactly those words: www.bbc.com/…
This can be added to Trump’s list of mockery-attacks, whose targets included a Gold Star family (whose son died in military service to the US) and a disabled journalist: behavior that would get a child suspended from school and probably referred to a psychologist.
There is something uniquely pathological about all of it, but Trump’s present instance of overt pornography at a rally crosses a new line.
This also has the potential for stochastic terrorism, as with all of Trump’s public targeting of government officials, journalists, and others. The fact that LTC Vindman felt the need to seek safe housing on a military base makes this point clear. Enough was enough long ago.
2) About our message to Page and Strzok:
I thought about how any of us might communicate with them to show our support and solidarity. Here are two individuals who have served their country for years, being subjected to truly appalling treatment by the man who holds the most powerful office on Earth. So, YES, every individual’s support matters.
We can’t send them (or their lawyers) email; in any case that would just clog up their inboxes that have to remain free for urgent matters. Setting up one of those online petitions won’t get as much support since many of us (and many others) are reluctant to let their email addresses (and thereby their legal names) get harvested by Big Data for who-knows-what further use and misuse.
So the idea occurred to just do it this way: post a story, with a message, and ask for all of us who care and agree, to sign on and say so. That’s what this story is about and that’s what it’s for. We can trust that DK has a large enough audience that, one way or another, word of this message (below) and the number of signers, will reach them.
This is not a place to embark on our usual lengthy political exegeses and debates. This is for one purpose only: to express our support and solidarity with two individuals who have given their all for the greater good, and been subjected to vile abuse as an outcome.
3) The message:
Dear Ms Page and Mr. Strzok:
We the undersigned stand squarely with you.
All of us believe in the rule-of-law principle as the foundation of our government.
All of us agree with your assessments of Trump.
All of us agree that you wouldn’t carry your personal opinions into your work.
And all of us are making our best efforts to get out the vote in 2020.
If there is anything we as a community can do to help, feel free to get in touch one way or another and ask.
In solidarity: (everyone who signs this in the comments below).