Saturday, January 06, 2024

INSURRECTION RECOLLECTIONS AND ACADEMIC TURMOIL

 I watched the whole thing, from his call to arms to sunset, January 6, 2021. I worried. A lot. This had never happened before and while it was pretty clear the rioters were wrong in their assumptions, the lack of organized and overwhelming force to protect Our Capitol (!) was bothersome.

Now, here we are, three years later and there are still a large number of people who, even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, believe the attempted coup was justified. 

The facts are that our careful, plodding Department of Justice is continuing to collect evidence against the rioters and to put to bed the often ridiculous clams of corruption and election fraud.

History tells us we have been here before and the Republic survives. We were here in 1861 for a Civil War. we were here in the 1950's and withstood McCarthyism and the Red scare. We watched Richard Nixon resign during the mid 1970's Watergate scandal. And while insurrections and government scandals seem to occur more frequently as time passes, the Republic continues as a world force for good.

Three college presidents, unprepared for doing battle with aggressive Congressfolk, took knockout blows as the year wound down. In academic meetings, absolutes are hard, if not impossible to find. It is clear to me what answer Congresswoman Stefanik was seeking to her question. It was also clear that staff had not adequately prepared their presidents for the bare-knuckle atmosphere that often arises in Congressional hearings. It's too bad that three outstanding women academic leaders have been besmirched by the instantaneous decision-making of the American public and most news media.

We enter a year of decision-making for all of us. It is to be fervently hoped we  voters will do our due diligence, learn who best will serve us in government and then vote for our preferences, leaving in the dust of history political parties and candidates who only serve themselves.

LEARN, CONSIDER AND VOTE!


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