You’re familiar with the famous description of the newly formed US Government that’s attributed to Ben Franklin. The Washington Post did some interesting reporting a couple of years ago disputing Franklin being the originator of the expression, so let’s just accept that it’s an apt description.
What does it mean for us to keep our Republic? Today is one of the days (the first among many) when this will be tested. It’s been a year since the then-president incited a deadly riot attempting to stop the peaceful transition of power that would make Joe Biden the 46th president.
As a communications professional, I know that language is paramount, so let’s be clear about what this event was. It was a treasonous attack on the US Government and on Vice-President Mike Pence specifically. It was an attempt to block him from performing his constitutional duty in certifying the election… by killing him. That’s the definition of treason. The attempt is treasonous. Success is not required.
We have become numbed to hyperbolic language thanks in part to the excessive use of it by the Former Guy. We all need to shake this off and reboot. The failure of a one process (Impeachment) to bring the politics to a satisfying end (by disqualifying the Former Guy from ever holding an elected federal office) is just a symptom of how threatened our Republic really is.
We rely now on the Justice System to build a legitimate case against ALL involved in this attack. The slow and steady work of several grand juries has been ongoing, but there’s a problem here that doesn’t exist in a lot of crimes.
We all watched this attack unfold on live television. We feel that we know what happened. For three hours, as the Vice President was held in an underground parking garage, the president gleefully watched this riot on television. He couldn’t understand why his staff and some family members were unhappy to see this. His people were fighting for him and waving his flag … right alongside that of the confederacy. The affiliation was obvious and he was fine with that – he always has been. “His people” are confederates.
The larger problem here is that as we mark the anniversary of that terrible day, we are in the midst of watching West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin living out his fantasy of being president – that he has the power of controlling the fate of critical pieces of legislation by threatening to withhold his vote – the 50th needed to pass (with the Vice President’s help in breaking the 50-50 tie).
Hanging in the balance is President Biden’s Build Back Better legislation, but much more critically – the two voting rights bills that will wipe away the voter suppression laws that have been passed this year – allowing some state legislatures to override the popular vote in their states if they see fit.
Every democrat is needed to pass these bills and passing them is necessary to keep our republic. Senator Manchin uses his leverage for attention, which is a disgrace, but the focus on him distracts from what should be a more urgent question: Why is it so acceptable that NO Republican will vote to secure the integrity of our elections through these voting rights bills? As Manchin flirts with not being the 50th Democrat to support this legislation, why is it so painless for Republican senators to so openly cling to power for its own sake by clearing the path to flip election results that they don’t like?
Why aren’t there reporters chasing Richard Burr and Thom Tillis through the hallways of their office buildings demanding that they explain WHY they will not support voting rights?
Richard Burr’s website says, “Protecting and honoring human and civil rights is another area where Richard has led legislatively.” You can call his DC office (202-224-3154) and let him know you’d like for him to continue his leadership by voting YES on the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and The Freedom to Vote Act now before the Senate. Ringing the phone gets the attention of Senators. Email does not. Likewise, you can call Senator Tillis at 202-224-6342.
Jean Bolduc is a freelance writer and the host of the Weekend Watercooler on 97.9 The Hill. She is the author of “African Americans of Durham & Orange Counties: An Oral History” (History Press, 2016) and has served on Orange County’s Human Relations Commission, The Alliance of AIDS Services-Carolina, the Orange County Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, and the Orange County Schools’ Equity Task Force. She was a featured columnist and reporter for the Chapel Hill Herald and the News & Observer.
Readers can reach Jean via email – jean@penandinc.com and via Twitter @JeanBolduc
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