Rep. Raskin on Two Unthinkable Tragedies: Jan. 6 Attack and His Son's Suicide - Mother Jones

[Rhiannon12866]

On the last day of 2020, Tommy Raskin, the 25-year-old son of Rep. Jamie Raskin, ended his own life. Days later, Raskin was at the Capitol on January 6, with his daughter Hannah and the husband of his other daughter, Tabitha, for the certification of the electoral vote. The three lived through the harrowing hours, as Trump-inspired insurrectionists attacked Congress and tried to stop the transfer of power. These two traumas were distinct, one personal and intimate, the other with ramifications for an entire nation. Yet for Raskin, his wife, Sarah, and their daughters, these different nightmares were intertwined, each striking at and undermining core assumptions about life and their world. One could be broken by either.

Yet Raskin, amid the deepest grief, took on a weighty assignment: leading the House managers for the second impeachment of Donald Trump. That entailed devising the legal arguments and strategies for the trial in the Senate—and assuming the high-profile role as chief prosecutor. How to do that with the burden of immense suffering? The trial ended in a majority vote for conviction, 57 to 43, with seven Republicans finding Trump guilty, and the other members of the minority party essentially accepting Trump’s betrayal. That was 10 votes shy of the 67 votes required for a conviction but the largest bipartisan vote for an impeachment conviction in US history. Quite an accomplishment for a former constitutional law professor, especially under the horrific personal circumstances.

Mother Jones Washington, DC, bureau chief David Corn interviewed Raskin—his friend and neighbor—about it all in this wide-ranging and poignant discussion.

[SheltieLover]

1. What an incredible person he is

Suicide of a loved one, especially a child, is beyond devastating.

I hope he & his family are healing.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. He really is amazing, instead of taking time off to grieve, he wrote a book to deal with his grief

And has doubled down on the important job he is doing - in the name of his beloved and proactive son.

[SheltieLover]

3. Yup

Many people throw themselves into work to push through their sorrow, but few with such profound consequences! The pressure to get everything perfect must have been immense in and of itself, then add the pressure of his work being a tribute to his deceased son...

And he performed brilliantly. Truly an amazing man! Proud to call him a fellow Dem!

[madaboutharry]

4. Actually, Hannah is the married daughter.

Rep. Raskin was with his daughter Tabitha and the other daughter’s husband on January 6th.

[Wild blueberry]

5. Splendid interview

Congressman Raskin's ability to feel his grief about his son's death seems to allow him to see clearly, without denial, what state our country is in, and amazingly to do something about it. Love the tribute to Tommy, "...he's a messenger from the future...." I watched the spoken poem by Tommy https://tommyraskin.wordpress.com/2017/09/26/dc-vegfest-performance/
Wow. Both father and son.
Thank you for posting this.