Honor is like an island; Steep and without Shore; They who once leave; Can never return.
French poet Nicholas Boileau
Originally Published January 26, 2021
It is with a heavy heart that as senior editor of Revolutionary War Journal, I must share with my readers my outrage over the horrendous attack on our nation’s capitol and the grave threats toward Congressmen and women by a massive mob. The American Revolution gave us freedoms embodied in a Constitution written by and for the people that has stood the test of time for over two hundred and thirty years. On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, a riot was incited by the very person whose oath of office is to defend our sacred Constitution. The President of the United States unleashed a dangerous and subversive assault on our pillar of democracy. Except for the white separatists and far right extremist groups that thrive on violence, many American citizens were there because they had been conned, a great disservice to them and our country.
For the sake of our children and grandchildren, realize how fragile our democracy has become and look beyond the emperor’s clothing to see that indeed, he is naked.
Let me be clear. The storming of our Capitol was not patriotism. Patriots bult that shrine of independence. They never defiled it. Patriots wrote the Constitution. They never attacked it. Patriots stood up against tyranny. They never embraced it. And Patriots envisioned a nation of equality for all. Not just for those whose pigment of skin is a lighter shade. We the People have a long history of bigotry, greed, and blatant lies woven into our society. A Civil War destroyed slavery, only for its roots to flourish and raise it’s racist head in Jim Crow laws that turned lynching African Americans into a spectator’s sport. So too greed and lies resulted in anti-Semitic and anti-immigration legislation that persecuted our citizens. Yet, as a nation, we persevered. Strong Civil Rights were enacted. Courageous Americans who put people before power carved huge swaths through hatred and oppression. We led the world in human rights to become a beacon of hope. However, festering wounds have been laid open, proving the struggle for humanity and decency is far from over.
The chains forged to restrain misinformation and deception have been severed. Sources with whom so many millions rely upon for their news have become corrupted. A monster roams the land, intent on trampling empathy while questioning our values. Seething hatred and fear have been empowered by those who revel in it, using it to their political advantage. This is nothing new, but the scale has become overwhelming. It is a virus that has spread throughout the internet and major networks to cast doubt on all who try to stand before its surge.
We cannot afford to fool ourselves or rationalize the events that have taken place. The bastions of liberty have been assaulted; culminating in the attack on our Nation’s Capitol on January 6, 2021. Our Founding Father’s greatest fears have come to pass. An autocrat, through lies and subversion, has garnished a massive following. He has nourished a cult to destabilize the Constitution. One of our history’s most free and genuine elections has become his target in an attempt to install himself as a despot.
But there is always hope as long as we work together to unify our country. This violent act of desecration to our symbol of freedom has laid bare the poisonous rhetoric that has infected far too many Americans. It is a wakeup cry to restore human dignity and moral justice and seek the truth over propaganda. Truth strips the virulent falsehoods of self-serving bigots and major media networks seeking profits over principles. Now is the time for us to cast aside those who pander to greed, ambition, and strongman oligarchs – as we turn from the dark to once more look upon our nation as a light for the world.
We must listen and open our minds to both sides of an argument and avoid basing an opinion on one source. Opinions are anchored on facts, all else is just a reaction. History has shown us a clear path in which compromise resolves differences to prevent acts of spiteful aggression. As one nation, we fight for freedoms based on law, not anarchy. We act together for the good of all and not just the privileged. This is not a pipedream. It is what we can be. It is who we are. That, my friends, is true patriotism upon which we all may be proud.
This is the opinion of the Senior Editor and not necessarily of those who contribute to Revolutionary War Journal. Thank You