January 7
Reflections on the January 6 protests in our nation's capital
Closing out a chaotic 2020, I anticipated 2021 would be full of hope and optimism. While I remain optimistic, I am extremely saddened by what took place in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, January 6, when per our Constitution, the results of our Electoral College voting process were to be certified within our nation’s capital. Whatever your political leanings, I hope you will agree that the protest (some would say an attempted coup) was reprehensible, and has put a stain on the democratic foundations of our country. And just as reprehensible, in my opinion, was the inaction to vehemently discourage these acts from occurring.
As your interim president, I see my role in-part, as calling out wrongs and encouraging peaceful and thoughtful ways to address those wrongs. However, as a Black male, I cannot get the images of the Black Lives Matter demonstrations out of my mind, nor how quickly and swiftly attempts were made to dismantle the crowds through strong words, and even stronger actions, by those who stood silent on January 6th.
Given our two primary political parties, we inevitably will all not be happy with the outcome of every election. Yet, I would argue that our electoral process is second to none in that all of us of voting age and citizenship can participate in the process. And, we have long standing Constitutional practices and guidelines by which elections are to be conducted. While not perfect (nothing is), the 2020 process was scrutinized as never before, and reasonable minds should agree that while human error does occur, it was confirmed that human error did not rise to the level that was purported by those unhappy with the outcome.
As we put 2020 and this instance in the rear-view mirror, I hope we as an NSCC community can reflect on all that has happened (Coronavirus pandemic, presidential election, racial tensions) and find a way to work together to make 2021 a year to remember for all of the right reasons.
Wishing you all good health and much happiness in 2021!
