I appreciate Susheela's email message. I have felt the same rage and fear she describes. I agree that unity requires accountability and that we need to confront the violence, injustice and racism in our history. Further, I am afraid that we are in for a long haul to overcome the evil that has been metastasizing in our midst. I am not minimizing that. It's just that I'd rather continue that fight with the sense, or is it hope?, as Biden framed it, that most of us are better than the "this" of January 6 and all that gave rise to it.
I'm all for accusation and accountability, swift, firm and certain, where it is warranted, beginning with both the actors and their enablers in the assault on the Capitol. I'll let my post this afternoon speak to this issue before weighing in again.
Spot on post. Those who are putting up roadblocks to accountability for the aggressors AND their enablers (such as the folks who looked the other way at Trump comments and actions) are extending the time and place for healing. Just saying you abhor the assault while ignoring years of complacency doesn't - and shouldn't - cut it.
Interesting that Susheela's comments include a paragraph that is almost verbatim to one I wrote yesterday in my post that will run this afternoon. But I arrived at the opposite conclusion. This not who we are -- at least not who most of us are most of the time. It is not who I am, nor who most of the people I know are. And, at this moment, it is not who 88% of Americans (those who oppose, and in most cases abhor, the assault on the Capitol) are.
With a little more reflection on this question, I suspect we are debating a statement that some of us take literally and others take as figurative, symbolic or cautionary. If by "this" we mean the assault on our Capitol and by "we" we mean all of us, I take issue with that. But, if we see the "who we are" more broadly, reflective of our past and what we inherit from that past and have to be mindful of in order to overcome, then, yes, I agree with that. The problem is that the "this is who we are" message will be taken literally by many, will be offputtng to many and will further divide us, when the "this is not who we are" message invokes our better selves and is more likely to unite us. And a new unity in opposition to the events of last week is what we need at this time.
The "this" I'm referring to is literal. It's broader than the assault on the Capitol, and also more direct than a reference to a historical past (though I would include that more distant past as well, especially as it relates to the role played by race and white supremacy). There's a direct line of causation from Trump's behavior over the course of his presidency to the assault. That line of causation includes the action or inaction of those who supported, tolerated, or averted their eyes from that behavior. Those folks are part of the "we". I don't see how unity is achieved without collective acknowledgment of this truth. Accountability doesn't have to equate to blame - but it does have to recognize how we got here.
Sadly, I agree that the failed insurrection reflects what a large slice of America has become. Over the past four years, Trump has assaulted the media, the judiciary, public servants, scientists, and anyone else who does not bend to his will. In the process, not only has he debased our constitutional system and damaged democracy, he has vitiated the concept of truth. Through his intricate web of lies and deceit, Trump has created a toxic stew of aggrievement and entitlement amongst many white Americans that their country is being taken over by minorities and foreigners. This racist narrative gave a sense of power to those who were losing economic clout as well as a scapegoat to absolve them of fault for their own condition. Ironically, the principal fault for the declining state of working class whites lay at the feet of the other half of Trump's base--the wealthy individuals and corporations that profited handsomely from Trump's tax policies, regulatory dismantling, and neglect of social services. Although Trump has damaged America to a degree that no other American could, he needed help to inflict that damage, which he received from many corners. From right-wing media, to wealthy donors, to a willing Republican establishment, those who stood to personally benefit from Trump's economic policies and accumulation of power stood idly by or, in many cases, actively encouraged Trump's mendacity, including his attempt at a coup. Those who aided and abetted Donald J. Trump--the most un-American president in our history--in inflicting untold damage on our system must be held accountable, whether at the polls, in their pocketbooks, or in the courts. If we are to come together as a country, we cannot simply turn a blind eye to the Trump era and move on. No, this stain on our history must be fully exposed and the culprits brought to justice.
I appreciate Susheela's email message. I have felt the same rage and fear she describes. I agree that unity requires accountability and that we need to confront the violence, injustice and racism in our history. Further, I am afraid that we are in for a long haul to overcome the evil that has been metastasizing in our midst. I am not minimizing that. It's just that I'd rather continue that fight with the sense, or is it hope?, as Biden framed it, that most of us are better than the "this" of January 6 and all that gave rise to it.
I'm all for accusation and accountability, swift, firm and certain, where it is warranted, beginning with both the actors and their enablers in the assault on the Capitol. I'll let my post this afternoon speak to this issue before weighing in again.
Spot on post. Those who are putting up roadblocks to accountability for the aggressors AND their enablers (such as the folks who looked the other way at Trump comments and actions) are extending the time and place for healing. Just saying you abhor the assault while ignoring years of complacency doesn't - and shouldn't - cut it.
Much more cogently stated than my response above!
Interesting that Susheela's comments include a paragraph that is almost verbatim to one I wrote yesterday in my post that will run this afternoon. But I arrived at the opposite conclusion. This not who we are -- at least not who most of us are most of the time. It is not who I am, nor who most of the people I know are. And, at this moment, it is not who 88% of Americans (those who oppose, and in most cases abhor, the assault on the Capitol) are.
With a little more reflection on this question, I suspect we are debating a statement that some of us take literally and others take as figurative, symbolic or cautionary. If by "this" we mean the assault on our Capitol and by "we" we mean all of us, I take issue with that. But, if we see the "who we are" more broadly, reflective of our past and what we inherit from that past and have to be mindful of in order to overcome, then, yes, I agree with that. The problem is that the "this is who we are" message will be taken literally by many, will be offputtng to many and will further divide us, when the "this is not who we are" message invokes our better selves and is more likely to unite us. And a new unity in opposition to the events of last week is what we need at this time.
The "this" I'm referring to is literal. It's broader than the assault on the Capitol, and also more direct than a reference to a historical past (though I would include that more distant past as well, especially as it relates to the role played by race and white supremacy). There's a direct line of causation from Trump's behavior over the course of his presidency to the assault. That line of causation includes the action or inaction of those who supported, tolerated, or averted their eyes from that behavior. Those folks are part of the "we". I don't see how unity is achieved without collective acknowledgment of this truth. Accountability doesn't have to equate to blame - but it does have to recognize how we got here.
Sadly, I agree that the failed insurrection reflects what a large slice of America has become. Over the past four years, Trump has assaulted the media, the judiciary, public servants, scientists, and anyone else who does not bend to his will. In the process, not only has he debased our constitutional system and damaged democracy, he has vitiated the concept of truth. Through his intricate web of lies and deceit, Trump has created a toxic stew of aggrievement and entitlement amongst many white Americans that their country is being taken over by minorities and foreigners. This racist narrative gave a sense of power to those who were losing economic clout as well as a scapegoat to absolve them of fault for their own condition. Ironically, the principal fault for the declining state of working class whites lay at the feet of the other half of Trump's base--the wealthy individuals and corporations that profited handsomely from Trump's tax policies, regulatory dismantling, and neglect of social services. Although Trump has damaged America to a degree that no other American could, he needed help to inflict that damage, which he received from many corners. From right-wing media, to wealthy donors, to a willing Republican establishment, those who stood to personally benefit from Trump's economic policies and accumulation of power stood idly by or, in many cases, actively encouraged Trump's mendacity, including his attempt at a coup. Those who aided and abetted Donald J. Trump--the most un-American president in our history--in inflicting untold damage on our system must be held accountable, whether at the polls, in their pocketbooks, or in the courts. If we are to come together as a country, we cannot simply turn a blind eye to the Trump era and move on. No, this stain on our history must be fully exposed and the culprits brought to justice.