“There were multiple, systematic efforts to interfere in our election. That allegation deserves the attention of every American.”
This is how Robert Mueller finished off his address to the nation yesterday. In a plea to the public, he called for us to simply pay attention to the fact that Russia interfered in the democratic process of our nation, but we haven’t listened.
Instead, all of the news and talk on every side of the aisle is about how the report deals with President Trump and issues within our government, all of the issues that cannot be definitively concluded, but that fit in more with the state of hyper partisanship and division that defines our government today.
If you don’t believe that the extent of these acts is serious to the viability of our society, look at the rest of Mueller's speech:
“As alleged by the grand jury in an indictment, Russian intelligence officers who were part of the Russian military launched a concerted attack on our political system.
The indictment alleges that they used sophisticated cyber techniques to hack into computers and networks used by the Clinton campaign. They stole private information, and then released that information through fake online identities and through the organization WikiLeaks. The releases were designed and timed to interfere with our election and to damage a presidential candidate.
And at the same time, as the grand jury alleged in a separate indictment, a private Russian entity engaged in a social media operation where Russian citizens posed as Americans in order to interfere in the election.
These indictments contain allegations. And we are not commenting on the guilt or innocence of any specific defendant. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
The indictments allege, and the other activities in our report describe, efforts to interfere in our political system. They needed to be investigated and understood. That is among the reasons why the Department of Justice established our office.”
This is not some trivial accident, not an isolated event, but a systematic and concerted attack on the heart of American democracy and republicanism: suffrage and popular sovereignty.
We cannot take it lightly that the institution of voting that we have fought wars for and declared freedom for is now a puppet for the Kremlin’s agenda. This is literal cyber warfare, an attack led by, as Mr. Mueller outlines, the RUSSIAN MILITARY.
No matter what you think about President Trump’s actions or policy, you have to set your priorities straight. The security of our freedom needs to be secured, especially before the 2020 election that will likely be one of the most critical in our nation’s history.
Congress, conduct more oversight on social media sites and platforms where these attacks allegedly took place. Pass legislation that augments safety measures for the distribution of information that alters the balance of democracy. President Trump, approve these bills, or sign in your own executive orders to implement increased security. Though I may not agree with the increase in executive responsibility this may endorse, our voting safety is an urgent issue that requires immediate action if we want to sustain the foundations of our nation. And to the courts, the judiciary, though you may be “independent,” there is no partisanship in attacks on liberty. There have been clear violations and assaults on the constitution, so you must set precedent to be enforced by the other branches.
The report places the reality on threats to our livelihood right in front of our faces, yet we decide to focus on what cannot be objectively proven from it. This is irony, this stagnation, this is stupidity. Start making the changes that are clearly needed. Start making them now.
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