What type of nation have we become?
Seems every day since the 2020 election, we are asking ourselves this question and the follow-up question: Will our democracy survive?
For over 245 years now, from presidents to mayors and city councilpersons, there are those who have won their election and those who have not. Most of the time, those who have not been successful concede graciously and offer their assistance.
However, the 2020 presidential election was different.
I believe this had been building for four years.
Beginning in 2017, in the protest in Charlottesville, Virginia, where there were those civilly protesting, while others — who only think of angry arrogance and domination — feel that confrontation is always the answer.
That event, I believe, was the beginning of a new America, a nation of an elected official whose arrogance knew no boundaries, who “turned his back” on our allies while cultivating a cordial, friendly relationship with those dictators who would — in a heartbeat — do this nation harm, who kept those wishing to enter the U.S. out by erecting barriers and barbed wire, all the while keeping us “pinned in” like prisoners.
The ultimate piece of the puzzle was the aftermath of the 2020 election.
For weeks after President Joe Biden had won both the popular vote and, therefore, a majority of the Electoral College, Donald Trump continued his goal of trying to get states to declare the election invalid, including intimidating various state secretaries of state to decertify the election results.
The Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection attempt was for Donald Trump to attempt to invalidate the election and overthrow the government. Yet some news media and elected officials in the Republican Party continue to act, think and speak as if Jan. 6, 2021, was merely a tourist presentation and that Donald Trump is some type of saint.
I thought that my reading of the Constitution was correct, that attempting to overthrow the government is a treasonable offense.
This is one fact that is true: Section 3.1 of the 14th Amendment needs to be enforced, directly where it pertains to Donald Trump.
Then, our democracy will have a bright future.
Al Liebeskind
Millsboro
