Disgrace: to be a source of shame; the condition of one who has fallen from grace; the state of one who has lost honor or left in disgrace. Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

Donald Trump may not be convicted of supporting an insurrection, but he will suffer what is for him a far worse punishment; he will be disgraced, now and forever, in the minds and hearts of every person of integrity and honor.

The Democrats presented an opening video with dignity, simplicity, and extraordinary power today; it was a masterpiece of restraint and conviction.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Democratic constitutional scholar, and teacher described being at the capitol on January 6 with two of his children.  His daughter, an algebra teacher, said she never wished to come to the capitol again.

It brought him to tears, and I think, would do the same for many parents. I just shook my head for America.

As the day went on, it became apparent that Trump’s defense is that there is no defense; his party is afraid to convict him. More grievance, more victim talk, more demonizing enemies.

I don’t feel the need to watch any more.

I doubt anyone in congress, including Marjorie Fruit Loop, could doubt that Trump is guilty of instigating a resurrection, if not a coup.

The man who feeds off of adulation so desperately will get a permanent dose of infamy fused onto his name and reputation.

People of faith and dignity believe that lying is a sin.  And that freedom is precious.  Lots of people don’t. I guess that is what really divides us.

So be it. For all of history, “twice-impeached” will be his title and his name.

The telling of a lie is not only a sin or disgrace; it is the reflection of a disorder in the soul that spreads like a malignant tumor. I pity him more than ever. To be trapped inside of that spirit is a punishment I could not endure.

I can always count on Thomas Paine to guide me when it comes to patriotism and honor, and on this painful and disturbing impeachment day, he didn’t fail me.

Paine might well have been thinking of the Donald Trumps of our world when he wrote:

“… for that which is a disgrace to human nature,” he wrote, “throw something of a shade over the all the human character, and each individual feels his share of the wound that is given to the whole.”

Donald Trump wounded all of us and is a disgrace to human nature.

At first, I wasn’t clear why we were being asked once again to endure another disturbing impeachment trial whose outcome seemed predetermined in a country in need of attention and healing.

I see it now. Donald Trump’s real crimes may never face trial or conviction: he has disgraced and dishonored every person who cares about dignity and freedom and our country along with it.

We used to stand for more. So did the Republican Party, they are rapidly losing all credibility with people they need to support to stay relevant.  They have none left with me.

I am surprised to see them willing to become the party of the angry and the extreme.

He has shamed himself; he has shamed all of us.

That trial is already over. And he has already been convicted.

A part of me is dreading this again, especially the dodging, weaving,  cowardice, lying, and denial that is a part of every Donald Trump controversy.

But I feel better about it as the trial begins; I don’t really need a conviction to believe that justice is being done. I don’t really expect politicians to be the ultimate guardians of our honor. They don’t usually rise to the occasion.

In a democracy, only the people can ultimately do that.

And the people are guarding our honor.

I see that Joe Biden is once again offering the country the notion that a healthy, well-funded, and well-staffed government is sometimes essential – like now. That its role is to help people, not divide or enrage them.

That is both hopeful and refreshing. It will take a long time and lots of work to erase any of the damage Donald Trump caused.

Any lasting government is morally obliged to help the needy and the vulnerable, not just ignore them and blame them for their troubles.

The Democrats seem to have learned some suitable lessons from the Trump experience finally. One is to do some measurable good for people, rather than talk about it.

Another is to protect and save lives. Joe Biden looks pretty good, especially when compared to the opposition.

Yet another function of government is to govern, not just pretend to control. The Republicans are showing themselves unworthy of trust, competence, integrity, leadership, or compassion.

That is not good for our country.

Their weakness and cowardice and deepening association with hateful extremists will come back to haunt them if I know a single thing about politics, continuous grievance, and extreme politics and blatantly racist extremism are not a winning political formula in America, at least not anymore.

I see what the Democrats and some Republicans of courage are doing now.

They are showing us the meaning of honor and statesmanship. They are doing the right thing, even if it can’t work formally and legally. They are protecting, not undermining, our democracy.

The trial divides us into bad and good ways: we either believe in truth and honor, or we will stand up for lives and treason and power. We will stand up for one or the other.

We will have a permanent record of who to trust and who does not.

Congress is holding a man accountable for the crimes he has committed against our government,  our democracy, and the very foundation of our country – the peaceful transition of power from one party to another.

We can argue and make up our own minds about Donald Trump’s guilt or innocence, but the bloodstain on his life and work can’t be washed off or lied away.

It will stain him forever. It can’t be washed away.

Unlike the Ukraine Impeachment, the country will see Donald Trump in his own reckless words and judge him for themselves. So far, the polls suggest nearly 60 percent of all Americans would like him to be convicted and barred from seeking public office again.

That is an enormous shift from the first impeachment. In one way or another, truth matters.

Disgrace may seem like a light punishment for someone who looks more and more like a traitor every day. But humiliation is the demon Trump fears the most, and it covers him now like a shroud.

Trump is already a disgraced President.

A key element of his mental illness is his obsession with what people think of him.

His official title for all of history will be “twice impeached,” it will be the new prefix to his name. The stomach-churning videos of the capitol mob – dozens of whom have told the FBI that they came to the capitol because he asked them to – will be an eternal part of his biography.

They tell us all we need to know.

So I’ll skip the pundits and analysis and pointless debates in this impeachment. The real trial is far from Washington, well beyond the U.S. Senate Chambers.

For thousands of years,  good men have been fighting and pleading and praying for right. In Death In The Afternoon, Ernest Hemingway wrote that what is moral is what you feel good after, and what is immoral is what you feel bad after.

I don’t know one good soul who feels right about Donald Trump, and I don’t know a bad soul who feels good about him either.

With a nod to Teddy Roosevelt: Here is our country. Cherish its natural wonders, the history, and romance, and dreams of our flawed but sacred heritage for our children and our grandchildren. Never let selfish men or greedy interests rape our country of its promise; it’s the beauty of its romance.

I am honestly sorry for you when I write this, Mr. Ex-President. You are guilty as charged.