Thank you for this thoughtful post. You make some very important points, and there is nothing that you've said that I disagree with. And trust me, the combination of my being Irish and a cranky -- I'm convinced that John Lennon wrote "Mean Mr. Mustard" with me in mind -- it is rareindeed for me to agree in full with anyone.
I recognize, for example, that my friendship with Dr. Lee makes it difficult to be objective. It's fair to say that I am more familiar with the threats and backlash she endured than anyone else on this forum. So I think she should be honored by Democrats, especially on a forum where I posted three interviews I did with her.
As I've noted, it was good that Liz Cheney stepped up. Adam Kinzinger, too. I respect what they did. Outside of that, Cheney is a neoconservative, sharing the values of her father. Kinzinger is a moderate republican, as is Ms. Hutchinson. I can work with moderate republicans. I have a friend in a nearby community who served in the NYS Assembly for many years. It's not like we visit each other's homes, but we talk. More, he helped Chief Waterman & I save an Indian burial ground from an aggressive, powerful construction industry. He's talked to me about problems his son had. While there has long been some toxic republicans at all levels, there used to be more that one could do business with. The House and Senate used to get things done.
So I again thank you for making important points. Just to maintain my reputation, however, I will say that there is no evidence that the defendent is a human being, unless one includes failed humans.