This article was something I wrote soon after the attack on our nation's capitol January 6th. The issues remain the same. A well-informed public is the absolute requirement for real democracy to survive. We need to know the truth, each voter individually and equally responsible, and that sets us free to choose a practical politics providing fundamental liberty and justice for all--inclusive, not exclusive. And then we must recognize and cultivate our interconnectedness with the rest of the world's peoples.
“Police Outnumber Protestors” was our local 1-18-21
Times Herald front page headline, with large frontpage photo of Army Humvees
out in force at our Michigan state Capitol in Lansing. Over a week before this, “Trump Backers
Storm Capitol” was the small format header with business card sized photo
squeezed in at the top of the 1-7-21 Times
Herald. Small potatoes the day after a physical attack on our nation’s democracy and the
violent invasion of our U.S. Capitol building. There was no
frontpage story on this historic Capitol crisis. Instead, articles on
marijuana facilities, postponing of downtown’s Chilly Fest, and Family Video’s
closing.
The halls of Congress were under siege January 6th,
and then occupied for 5 hours by right wing rioters, spouting talk of
revolution and threatening our elected representatives, in the name of our
ex-president. People died and more were injured in this desecration of
the place where the work of a civil democracy should be conducted.
The serious nature of this violent act, encouraged by an
ego driven President Trump, rejecting the results of an election which has been
validated by all state and federal authorities *, must be recognized and
resoundingly repudiated. It deserves much more attention by local press,
and the politicians of every party. That 139 Representatives, and 8
Senators, all Republicans, still voted against accepting the decision of some
of the states’ electors for soon to be President Joe Biden, after such a
debacle, is a great shame. There are solid articles and editorials
appearing in the conservative Wall Street Journal that outline our problem—we
are a very divided nation in which too many pay very little attention to
verifiable facts in our political discussions. [see below for
references]. The Wall Street Journal, as well as the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce, among others, have called for President Trump to resign. Many
of the banks who’ve done business with him are now putting a stop to his
credit.
What we saw on January 6, 2021 was an organized riot
meant to be chaotic and intimidating. Certainly only a segment of the
30,000 that came to protest were invaders, but all led credence to a lie—that
the 2020 election was stolen. We must all do better. Watch, listen
to and read respectable, verifiable sources of news, agencies which have editors
and producers who routinely check the facts, value and investigate their
stories and commentaries. Choose more than one or two news outlets, and
certainly ones with some contrasting general political perspectives. If
we are to preserve our democracy we must become better informed.
[For good worldwide vision, I look to the New York Times
and the Wall Street Journal each with divergent editorial bent, but each
diligent in pursuit of facts. The Times Herald gives me local news and
perspective, with a USA Today focus on national and world news. The Drudge
Report is a composite of news sources, tending conservative. I watch and
listen to NPR, Public Televisions PBS News Hour, and surf the other major TV
networks news including Fox. CBS’s 60 Minutes has merit. Facebook
and other such story spreaders are rarely to be trusted, unless they provide
links to credible sources with fact checking content editors. Electronic
algorithms are no substitute for editors, providing only a bare minimum of
oversight.]
Amid storming and looting the Capitol Building on January 6, pro-Trump rioters also attacked the press pool outside the building and destroyed their news gear. Photo by Michael Nigro--Getty Images
In our Catholic Church Jan 6th is
recognized as the Feast of the Epiphany, when the Magi, kings of the world,
came to pay homage to the Savior born in a stable—a humble place for the
beginning of God’s birth into humanity. This Jesus came to save us from
our sins, teaching us that the truth, mercy, forgiveness, and loving our enemies is the
way to eternal life. The word epiphany means a revelation.
This past Jan 6th should also be a
revealed warning. If we continue to follow the leads of pride, greed,
self-righteous hatred, and uninformed arrogance, we will ignore and miss the
message of the newborn in the manger—that our true security and happiness comes
from reconciling our differences, loving each other as God loves us
unconditionally, despite the real difficulties of race, political party, or
social class. Blessed are the Peacemakers. God does not
discriminate, demands true justice, and is the healer of all pain. It’s time to put away our swords of division, conquer
the pandemic, and share the good things we’ve been given with our neighbors,
and the rest of the world. Kings must bow before Truth, born in a stable.
References
* https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trumps-final-days-11610062773
https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-erases-his-legacy-11610061766?mod=opinion_featst_pos1&mod=djemMER_h
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-disgrace-on-capitol-hill-11609979276
https://www.wsj.com/articles/bring-the-insurrectionists-to-justice-11610065179
https://www.wsj.com/articles/all-donald-trumps-deplorables-11610406826?mod=djemMER_h
https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-and-his-allies-set-the-stage-for-riot-well-before-january-6-11610156283?mod=cxrecs_join#cxrecs_s
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/11/us/politics/trump-ethics-democracy-biden.html
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