Democracy took another step into the darkness.

I am not a particularly political person. I have my biases, and occasionally I even tell others my opinion, but I do not make an effort to have them known and I do not post them on social media. However, what happened in the Senate today was extraordinary, and I feel compelled to respond in some way.

I do consider myself, at the very least, a patriot. That is, I love this country; the people, the diversity, the ingenuity, but above all, the institutions put in place that have created a political and cultural space unique in history. One of those institutions so integral to America as a nation and a democracy is our legal system. It is meant to hold everybody to the same standard, be they poor or rich, black or white, official or citizen. It has never been perfect. Prejudice against minorities and the impoverished have been warping that ideal since the conception of our country. Despite these flaws, the ideal of equality under the law is so critical to America and the Constitution that without it, we are ruined.

This ideal has now been shattered, perhaps forever.

It should not matter what your political bias is. A trial where witnesses and evidence are omitted is an illegitimate trial. It is a trial where the truth is maliciously hidden, and tyranny nakedly displayed; a trial where the will of 75% of the population is trodden over. This is not democracy. It is a kangaroo court.

Some arguments seem to be particularly prevalent for why the Senate was justified to vote the way they did. One is that calling witnesses and evidence would prolong the trial, wasting taxpayer money and legislative energy. In that case, what exactly is taxpayer money and legislative energy for, if not to hold our officials accountable? Is that not the foundation of our government?

More troubling is the fact that the Democrats did the same thing in 1999 during Clinton’s impeachment. There are three counterpoints. Firstly, the Democrats lost that gambit in 1999, and additional witnesses and evidence were called- therefore, if fairness is the argument, then tonight’s result is the opposite.

Secondly, the context was markedly different. The Clinton administration had been forthcoming in its cooperation with Special Counsel- the Trump administration has been notorious for stonewalling and refusing to share key evidence. Finally, does the conduct of the Democrats in 1999 give those in power today the right to act in such a way? Is that not a further cut into the thin sinew of our democracy?

There was never much chance that the trial would end in anything other than acquittal, for better or worse. However, the way it has been conducted has seen one of the most powerful institutions in the most powerful country in the world publicly disregard the very basis of our legal system. The consequences remain to be seen.