To the editor:
What started as a joyous day turned into a brutal day for American democracy.
Wednesday, January 6, began with celebrating the decade-long work of grassroots organizers in Georgia resulting inĀ the successful election of Senator-elect Warnock and the anticipated victory of Senator-elect Ossoff.
What followed was our country watching a mob of domestic terroristsĀ assault on our nationās Capitol in a disgusting act of insurrection.
Shocking. Shameful. Painful. Unpatriotic.
Illegal.
I reject the events of January 6, 2021.
I call on our officials to arrest and prosecute those who violated our democracy.
I also name these events for what they are — the epitome of patriarchy, white supremacy culture, and entitlement.
This toxicity was on full display by the words andĀ actions of our sitting President, the extreme lack of security throughout the day’s events, and the image of an extremist eating a sandwich on the Senate Dais.
Sickening.
Itās ugly. Itās cruel. It has to stop.
As we all process the enormity of what happened, I hope you take care of yourself, take care of those around you, and look ahead towards the future.
Yes, a new President will be in office come January 20, but the racism, sexism, and violenceĀ on displayĀ will remain.
We have been shown once again how deep the roots of hate areĀ in this country. We must all commit to doing everything we can to dig it out, once and for all.
My thoughts and gratitude are with those who did all they could to uphold democracy, and with all of us who will continue to do so.
In solidarity,
KristenĀ van Ginhoven
Lenox
The writer is Producing Artistic Director,Ā WAM Theatre. This statement was originally shared with WAM constituents and is shared here with the author’s permission.
