We must Stop supporting an Insurrectionist!

By Tyler Merbler from USA - DSC09156, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=98780310

Violence is not how we solve problems in a Democracy based on "the rule of law". I am speaking up because I do not want to see people hurt, and I do not want to live with the guilt of knowing that I saw what was happening, but  didn't speak up. Let's take a closer look at the events of the last couple of weeks.

Voter Fraud

• I was shocked when I listened to part of the recording of Trump's hour long phone call with Brad Raffensperger, Georgia's Secretary of State. I heard our president pressuring the Secretary of State to be a "loyal" Republican and "find" him votes, so he could overturn the Presidential election results.  I thought, now the people will see that the only documented "voter fraud" has been Trump's own actions. 

• When confronted with his illegal actions, Trump simply diverted attention from himself by stating that the Georgia Secretary of State did not reply to his accusations of voter fraud within his state which Brad Raffensperger had already disproved three times. Amazingly, many people were quickly pointing their fingers at Brad Raffensperger instead of holding Trump accountable for his actions.

Participating in an Insurrection does not make you a "Noble Patriot"

Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick who was killed in the January 6, 2021 Capitol Riot

Can you can look in the eyes of this man's family and those of the other four people who died during the insurrection at the Capitol building, and say that you will continue to support the person who is responsible for their deaths?

Trump incited a riot, allowed the rioters to vandalize the Capitol Building for three hours, threatened the leaders of Congress whom we elected, allowed the security of our nation to be breached, tried to "steal" the election by attempting to force the Attorney General of Georgia to illegally change votes, and is now encouraging "rallies" on, or before, inauguration day at government offices in all 50 states. Trump's actions are all documented. You can watch or listen to them online.

Realizing that their media platform was being used by an insurrectionist in an attempt to unlawfully seize the government of the United States, the social media stood up to Trump by refusing to allow their platform to continue to used to enable him. 

Trump is now diverting attention from his crimes by inciting a fear of "Socialism". He is calling people to "defend OUR right for free speech" assuring them that, like the 1776 patriots, they are fighting for a "noble cause". My freedom of speech has not been taken away, but then I'm not an insurrectionist!

 

Memories of a Day of Infamy

Yesterday on January 6, 2021, my husband and I sat at our computer to listen to the beginning speeches as the Congress of the United States met to count the Electoral College votes and confirm Biden as our next President. Though this eventually occurred, far more happened on this this "Day of Infamy"  than we had ever expected. I am writing this because I feel that this is a day we must learn from and never forget. 

Shortly after we began watching the opening speeches of the two party leaders in the Senate, the screen shifted to a large group of protesters outside the capitol building. Alarmed, we decided to follow the action on our TV. We watched, stunned, for the rest of the day as the PBS news reporters followed the events. In the evening, we again watched as Congress voted to certify Biden as our next legally elected President. We heard Trump's speeches to the people, and listened to many respected experts' comments. We heard what many of our elected officials actually said, and we saw the videos of the take over of our nation's Capitol building.

Here are my memories as a non-affiliated observer of this infamous day: