In jazz, syncopation is the art of emphasizing the offbeat—the pause, the unexpected silence, the rhythm that resists predictability. In politics, suppression often hides in those same silences. Speaker Mike Johnson’s refusal to reconvene the House, despite bipartisan momentum to release the Epstein files, is not just a procedural delay. It’s a syncopated act of power—an interruption in the rhythm of public reckoning.
The discharge petition to force a vote on releasing the Epstein documents has reached 218 signatures—the final key—Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva—awaits swearing-in. But Johnson, invoking procedural technicalities, has stalled her induction. This delay, cloaked in the language of order, feels more like a strategic pause. A silence that protects.
Johnson claims to support “maximum transparency.” Yet his actions suggest a choreography of concealment. The question isn’t just whether he’s hiding something personally—it’s whether he’s protecting a broader network of power, privilege, and proximity. In the Epstein saga, the names matter less than the systems that allowed abuse to flourish unchecked. And when those systems are threatened with exposure, the beat is often broken.
This moment demands more than outrage. It calls for authorship. For civic syncopation. For voices that refuse to be silenced between the notes.
Let us write into the pause. Let us demand the release of the files—not just as a matter of justice,
but as a ritual of memory. Let us name the delay for what it is: a suppression of rhythm, a refusal to let the truth play out in full.
Because when the House refuses to convene, the people must.
If you believe the public deserves the truth unredacted, unpause, unburied—then let your voice be heard.
Contact Speaker Mike Johnson: Demand that he reconvenes the House and allow the vote to proceed. Remind him that transparency delayed is justice denied.
Share this essay: Post it, print it, read it aloud. Let it circulate in churches, classrooms, barbershops, and council chambers.
Host a public reading or teach-in: Use this moment to educate, activate, and honor those whose stories remain suppressed.
Tag your representatives: On social media, in letters, in community forums. Ask them where they stand on the release of the Epstein files.
Reclaim the rhythm: If the House won’t convene, convene your own. Gather, speak, document, and resist the silence.
Because syncopation isn’t just a musical technique—it’s a strategy of survival. And in this moment, survival means authorship. It means memory. It means refusing to let power dictate the tempo of truth.