Injustice Anywhere Threatens Justice Everywhere

We join friends and allies around the country in condemning as strongly as possible ALL those who aided, abetted, enabled or joined the horrific mob violence in the Capitol this week.  Moreover we call for the immediate removal of Donald Trump, and resignation or removal of all officeholders who spoke out against certification of the electoral college results.  That’s why we’ve signed onto a statement with more than 100 national organizations.  Here’s why we’re not done asking you to take action.  

We hear that many Republican Congressmen are calling for national ‘healing’ and we have a message:  accountability determines national healing.  The right intended to send a message of terror this week, and that message was particularly directed toward the people of color who will soon be the majority of all Americans.  Republicans in power know it, and what’s worse, they know and accept there is more to come.   

Martin Luther King, Jr. wisely and prophetically stated, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”  The events of this week tangibly demonstrate that the injustice of unchecked white supremacy is a real threat to democracy and liberty for all.   Therefore, for any who want to be an ally for justice, we urge you to support the efforts of the outstanding Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Congresswomen who have spoken bravely and frankly about what is needed next.

Rep. Cori Bush, for instance, has blazed through her first week as an elected Representative.  She is not here to play, nor should she be.  This freshman Congresswoman from St. Louis was a nurse who joined and then led Black Lives Matter protests on the streets of Ferguson in the wake of Michael Brown’s murder.   She is already putting forward a resolution to seek the expulsion of all those in Congress who aided and abetted the white supremacist mob.  Anyone Members of Congress interested in genuinely healing the pain of those who felt the terror of this week’s events, and in preventing the next wave of violence, should co-sponsor and support her actions.  

Rep. Ilhan Omar moved swiftly to introduce Articles of Impeachment against Trump.  Anyone interested in what it takes to overcome violence and heal might find she has some experience, as part of the Somali refugee community, to share on that subject, and stop to hear it.  

But what are Republican men who ignored the will of the majority of voters saying?  They are appropriating the language of “healing,” but what they really mean is that they should not be held accountable.  As of this writing, Republicans are lining up behind a sign-on letter launched by Rep. Ken Buck asking President-Elect Biden to halt impeachment proceedings because of the need for “healing” and  “unity.”  Sounds like Reconstruction all over again, and with the same old reasons:  a devil’s bargain between capital holders and white supremacists. We’re not fooled.  These representatives are fine to let a few random rioters take the fall for the events of this week.  But calling for their resignations for aiding and abetting the violence?  That’s a challenge to their power and privilege that they cannot abide.

This is why representation matters.  Powerful men always make the case for their own impunity; but they must face the truth about the broad and personal impacts of their individual actions. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal spoke eloquently about what Congresswomen of color experienced in an interview that should put her Republican colleagues to shame.  She explained, “For people to want to say ‘we want to move on, and we can’t focus on this’ completely ignores the depth of the problem and the trauma associated with what we just went through.”  And this is why we need even more voices like hers, Omar’s, and Bush’s in Congress.

Take action by contacting your Congresspeople and ask them to sign onto Rep. Cori Bush’s resolution.  Text “14th” to 50409.

We are asking our supporters to do just a little bit more this week, recognizing that you have already given so much, and celebrating also the remarkable victory in Georgia’s Senate races last week thanks to all of your efforts.  Please call, text or e-mail your Congresspeople and ask them to sign onto Rep. Cori Bush’s resolution.  Here’s a link that will help you take the first step.  If your Congressperson was one of those who attempted to overturn the popular and electoral vote, tell them it’s time to resign.  

No more impunity for those in office who aid and abet white supremacist terror and who, like many of the people who rioted in the Capitol, have all too much reason to believe that laws exist to protect the powerful and not the weak.  Change will come, as we elect more and more people who understand what it is to be powerless, but it will take more time and more organizing.  For today, let’s at least be sure the right voices are elevated.

Bama Athreya, Coordinator, Diversity Matters