America is plagued with an epidemic of lawlessness. Illegal immigrants pour over our borders with near impunity and drug cartels brazenly challenge law enforcement to import illicit drugs openly and routinely. Running rampant in our urban areas, criminals boldly and casually steal whatever they like whenever they like as hapless police and helpless proprietors can only just watch. Frightened for their safety and incensed by the inaction or ineffectiveness of the authorities we appoint or elect to enforce our laws, Americans are clamoring for relief and reform. Many politicians claim they will step up to the challenge, but too few have the same fervor for grappling with the incredible manifest graft in government.

Since Joe Biden entered the Oval Office, our borders have been wide open reducing law enforcement to little more than overworked social workers trying to clothe and feed the unwashed hordes flooding our nation. Drug cartels literally have more control of our borders than we do, because the Biden Administration both encourages illegal immigration and then refuses to enforce any immigration laws. Border Patrol is so overwhelmed with human trafficking they have scant resources to fight drug trafficking.

Despite efforts by individual states, the open border is an ongoing crisis. Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, is most conspicuous in his dereliction and duplicity. Repeatedly claiming the border is secure, he is purposefully oblivious to the danger to Americans and the plight of the illegal immigrants. He callously denies reality and blithely declines to do his duty, so he should be removed from office post haste. Republicans all agree Mayorkas should be impeached, and perhaps one day they will gather the gumption to do it.

Around the country, crime is out of control particularly in blue-controlled urban areas where George Soros-funded district attorneys simply refuse to enforce many laws. Most criminals are not even arrested anymore, but if they are, they are released within hours and seldom prosecuted. The people are suffering as such lunacy continues unabated in too many cities, but enraged citizens are fed up and demand accountability. In some cities, they have recalled these leftist buffoons.

The frustration with a neglected border and aggravation with unchecked crime are palpable among average Americans. So Republicans are rushing to lead the charge on closing the border or reining in crime. They decry Democrats for inaction or recalcitrance and insist lawlessness must be prosecuted for the greater good. But when faced with blatant criminality by the Biden family literally selling American influence for their personal gain, Republicans are suddenly less enthusiastic and even ambivalent making excuses for inaction.

Except those duped by the Democrat Media Complex, most Americans are aware of mountains of evidence of wrongdoing by Joe, Hunter, and other Bidens. With only cursory banking information, Congress already has records of millions of dollars from China, Russia, and Ukraine paid to the Bidens for seemingly nothing. These are obvious bribes for influence and certainly merit investigation, but too many Republicans are reluctant to confront this criminality because confirmation would require action.

Some Republicans are on the case and Speaker Kevin McCarthy has finally called for an impeachment inquiry, but too many want to shoo the whole sordid affair away. Most Republicans acknowledge Biden is hopelessly corrupt, but they want to dismiss the effort because it will be all for naught since a Democrat Senate will never convict him. Perhaps they are right, but how is that different than the police who ignore crimes because the criminal will only be released? Or the district attorney that refuses to prosecute crimes because a judge will only rule in favor of the criminal? Someone else’s failure is NO an excuse to shirk your duty!

Democrats howl that any impeachment inquiry or proceeding against Biden is purely political vengeance for two pointless impeachments of President Donald Trump; and many Republicans go along with that assertion claiming impeachment is just political theater that only inflames the people. Both impeachments of Trump were surely ugly, but both failed in the Senate and exposed the fraudulent premises of both – the system ultimately worked.

We have a complex system of governance and justice. It requires many agencies and institutions to fulfill their duties before any action is taken, so the wheels of government move necessarily slow to increase the likelihood of a correct and just outcome. One part may fail, but the others should take up the slack. However, if every part avoids their duty to act because another is apt to fail, then the entire system collapses.

House Republicans must face history and step up to do their duty. They must pursue this impeachment inquiry of Biden with alacrity and vigor; and if the evidence of guilt is clearly established, they must impeach Biden regardless of whether the Senate will convict or not. If they fail to establish guilt, the Senate will not convict, and the American people will accept the results the same as both failed Trump impeachments. But if they establish guilt, it will be solely on the Senate for failing to uphold the Constitution. And the American people will know it!

Our elected officials must pursue justice regardless of the political consequences. That is the integrity Americans expect and deserve. If an impeachment of Biden is soundly and rightly conducted, the pressure on the Senate to serve justice will be tremendous, so the House should do their job and let the Senate do theirs. The Senate may shirk their duty, but at least the system won’t collapse because the House fulfilled their duty.

If most of our officials earnestly pursue justice, our institutions will weather the storm even if one fails. However, do not discount the pressure on Biden and the Democrats. The Senate may spare Biden, but Democrats will know if he is mortally wounded and unelectable – they will then remove him. The lesson is do your duty and others will be compelled to do theirs.

“For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14).

Pete Riehm is a conservative activist and columnist in south Alabama. Email him at peteriehm@bellsouth.net or read all his columns at http://www.renewamerica.com/.