University City Public Library Book Challenge: Unthinkable

University City MO

26 April, 2022

1:00 PM

Description

Press release from University City Public Library Book Challenge: April 23, 2022 Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trials of American Democracy Congressman Jamie Raskin writes about his son Tommy, who took his own life on New Year's Eve of 2020, alternating this topic with his own appointment to head the team that tried the second impeachment of Donald Trump. These two topics dovetail well because of the love Tommy had for animals, people, and country, and Tommy's love for debate, his need to defend the underdog when bullies threaten. Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland, had just buried his son on January 5, 2021, one day prior to the insurrection of the Capitol by those who supported Trump's call to stop the official counting of the States' ballots from November's presidential election. Raskin's heartbreak over the loss of his son, and his anger over the insurrection found new purpose in the information gathering, legal considerations, and presentations for the impeachment trial. His 25 years as a law professor helped me understand some of the nuances related to what the impeachment managers chose to focus on for the trial. I thought the narrative flowed, and was both informative and poignant. This press release was produced by University City Public Library Book Challenge. The views expressed here are the author's own.