Celebrations in China And Russia as terrorists attack the Capitol.

     We thought that 2020 with the COVID pandemic was something! Then 2021 opens with a seditious, terrorist, MAGA  attack on the United States Congress!  For five years trump as been telling his white followers that they are victims. Telling them that the system is rigged against them and that Blacks, other minorities, immigrants, Muslims, and more, have gamed the system to gain unfair advantage. That Democrats are un-American out to make America Socialist. He's been aided and abetted by the GOP and conservative media that refuses to tell the truth. He's encouraged right-wing extremists like the Proud Boys. Then he has a rally and sends his followers to attack Congress and disrupt the peaceful transfer of power. He's lied to his followers that the the presidential election was fraudulent and called the Georgia Secretary Of State to overturn election results. His lies have convinced millions that the election was rigged thus undermining one of the foundations of our democracy. He's been abetted in all this by much of the Evangelical church. Even now some conservative media outlets are spreading the lie that the rioters weren't trump supporters but liberals trying to make trump look bad. "These tragedies have reminded us that words matter, and that the power of life and death is in the tongue." Barry Block, Senate Chaplain.

     How did we get to this place?  Consider this...It was on this day in 1789 that the United States held its first presidential election. The turnout was very small. Only white men with property could vote, and of the 3 million people in America, 600,000 were slaves, and many more were women or men who did not own property; in the end, fewer than 39,000 people voted, or 1.3 percent of the population. They elected George Washington unanimously, and he was inaugurated at the end of April.

     "Only white men with property could vote, and of the 3 million people in America, 600,000 were slaves...'  Among the slave holders was George Washington, who only stayed in Philadelphia, the nation's capital, for six months at a time so he wouldn't have to free his slaves, as Pennsylvania law required of those staying over six moths.  America was founded on slavery...white supremacy. The War Between The States was fought over slavery, the North won the war but the South won the peace. The South did that by perpetuating the myth of the 'Noble Lost Cause' and enacting Jim Crow laws enforced with lynching. 

     Finally, we're beginning to wrestle with the demon of white supremacy.  That has precipitated the violent push back as witnessed with the attack on the Capitol yesterday. The GOP has used voter suppression to keep minorities "in their place."  The vote in Georgia this week shows beginning cracks in that effort to disenfranchise minorities.  The election of trump was caused, in large part, by the reaction to the election of  a Black President, President Barack Obama. Remember the "birther" attacks launched by trump?  You can almost hear American white supremacists saying "Who does he think he is?"

    trump has convinced millions of his followers that the election was rigged. He's encouraged hate, misogamy, and anger. People infected with those values are going to continue to poison our society. While the Capitol was under attack trump supporters around the country were celebrating the riot. Once evil is out of the box you can't call it back. It will take years for the destructive results to dissipate. 

     So let us seek truth, respect all, and honor justice.

Takk for alt,

Al

  

     PS. I found this interesting.

• Jay Timmons, president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers, called on Vice President Pence and top White House officials to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove President Trump, as pro-Trump rioters invade the US Capitol.