Waves
" It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped each time a man stands up for an ideal or acts to improve the lot of others or strikes out against injustice. He sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest wall of oppression and resistance."
-- Senator Robert F. Kennedy; South Africa; June 6, 1966,
There are a number of interesting OP/threads on DU that I've read in the last 24 hours. These have included people's thoughts on things ranging from Cassidy Hutchinson to the summary judgment of Judge Arthur Engoron in the defendent's NYS case. As an old man who enjoys sitting at his pond, I recognize ripples when I see them.
Ms. Hutchinson is younger than my youngest daughter. The context of her life helped form her into what she self-describes as a Romney republican. Her talents got her a job and relatively rapid promotions in the defendent's administration. Her values made her recognize the horrors of the attempt to overturn the 2020 election with violence. Her courage eventually resulted in her telling the truth.
All of that made her, in most people's opinion, the most important witness in the J6 Committee's hearings. As an American, it is good that she -- and Liz Cheney -- stepped up to the plate. Both made ripples. But we should not drink the Ripple wine that could result in our mistaking either for heroes in our Democratic Party.
The summary judgment is another ripple. Though not the "end-all," it is good to read te judge noting the "fraudulent valuations" and "false and misleading square footage" by the defendent and his boys. More, the judge had said in court, "When I first heard those arguments, I thought that was a joke."
He had ruled on some of the defendent's lawyers positions before, and warned them not to continue to raise them. "As a lawyer, I have to make the arguments," one of the defendent's lawyers responded. "The rule on sanctions is if you've been warned, don't do it. You were warned," Engoron said. More ripples.
Now, none of these ripples alone will bring down the defendent, nor result in his going broke. But it is okay to think of John D. Rockefeller giving out dimes , after an anti-trust case, to try to look like a nice old man focusing on charity. Will the defendent start handing out dimes at his rallies? Perhaps try to copy Abbie Hoffman by throwing pennies to the NYS Stock Exchange? Would that qualify as counter-ripples?
Likewise, as the ripples begin to accumulate into waves, and the defendent's freak show gathers steam, people should feel free to ask questions about these and other topics. The only stupid question, as Malcolm X noted, is the one that remains unasked. At its best, DU is a place where we are all students and all teachers.
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And so is Cassidy Hutchinson. I am really tired of people dumping on her in every thread I've read here about her (not the majority of the posts, but there are always a few).
Furthermore, I would posit that it takes at least as much courage for Republicans to stand up to their own party as it does for Democrats to call out the party that we already regard as our opposition. Remember what Dumbledore said to Neville at the end of the first Harry Potter movie: "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends."
I know the party line around here is that all Republicans are evil and all of them are exactly alike in their evilness, but that's far too broad of a generalization for me. Humans are much more complicated creatures than that (and yes, Republicans ARE humans, damn it, even the ones who seem to be lacking in certain human qualities). Granted, some of them are a lot alike in some ways, but it's very easy to go overboard in depersonalizing and stereotyping people we don't like, and I think it's a mistake to do so.
That's enough for now. I have errands to do, and I also need to go put on my flame proof underwear in preparation for some of the replies this post will probably receive. 
I absolutely agree about Dr. Bandy. I own the book she helped put together (The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, in case anyone isn't familiar with it) and have been a big fan ever since it came out. Sge definitely deserves all the honor any of us can give her. I had no idea you were personally acquainted with her, and I'm sad but not surprised to hear that she experienced such a terrible backlash. That's what happens to anyone Trump sees as being "against" him: he gets his cultists all riled up against them and then sits back and smirks while the cultusts threaten and sometimes even commit violence against those whose backs Trump has put a target on.
He's using the same tactics right now against all the lawyers who are prosecuting him, the prospective witnesses, the judges overseeing the cases against him, and even the as yet to be named jurors, as well as too many others to list them all. His chief aim (i think) is to intimidate and frighten people he feels threatened by, but if any of his cultists decide to take things farther and do actual harm to someone, he's perfectly happy with that. It's absolutely despicable and horrifying, and I can't even imagine what it would feel like to be one of his targets.
The reason I made such a point of calling the Republicans who have openly opposed Trump profiles in courage is because I've read so many negative comments about Cassidy Hutchinson and others in the the threads about Cassidy's new book and the TV interviews she's been doing. I've seen 4 of those interviews now, and I've been extremely impressed with her every time. But there's always someone in those threads who doesn't want to give her and other Republicans who have taken a stand against Trump any credit for doing so, just because they ARE Republicans (some of whom even *gasp* initially supported him). That's been getting on my nerves, because I think people who do courageous things deserve credit, period, even if they're also wrong about some other things. That was in the back of my mind when I read your comment, and I'm afraid some of my frustration came bubbling up when I replied.
I have enjoyed reading your thoughts on this, and I feel like we are more in agreement than not! 
I'm really sorry to hear that as well as disappointed in all those who caved to that pressure. 
I somehow missed the interviews you posted here. I'll have to look for them.
