A few thoughts on a week that should change our country forever-
A Capitol police officer, attacked with a fire extinguished by domestic terrorists who have also proclaimed themselves to be “blue lives matter” supporters, has died. The person/s who attacked him should be prosecuted for murder and sent away for life.
If you know someone who was involved in attacking our nation’s lawmakers, contact the FBI. They are criminals and should be prosecuted. If you aren’t mad enough to do that, take the United States flag off your front porch and turn in your voter registration card.
When members of Congress have to hide behind their desks to avoid bullets, it is time for Congress pass tougher gun laws. Any members of Congress who aren’t convinced of this should spend a week with teachers and students working through safety drills for potential gunmen in their schools. At the end of the day they should accompany families to visit the grave sites of the murdered children and teachers. If lying on the floor next to a kindergarten student, or standing with a young child at their sibling’s grave, doesn’t convince them we need tougher laws, vote them out. Run against them if you have to.
Let’s talk about gun culture and what is driving boys and men to attack our schools and slaughter students, teachers, and staff. Then we need to act.
Critical thinking is missing from our local, state, and national discussions. This is how cults of personality develop. The power-hungry will always tap into the fears of people who sense that they are losing their personal power and privilege.
The people who stormed the Capitol, murdered a law enforcement officer, and interrupted the confirmation of our legal and fair elections in November. Are criminals. In no way are they comparable to Black Lives Matter activists. Don’t waste time on people who want to argue that “the other side” behaves as foolishly, and dangerously, as Trump’s band of domestic terrorists and conspiracy theory champions.
A lot of time will pass between now and the 2022 gubernatorial race. Will Doug Collins and his supporters take on Brian Kemp claiming that if Collins had been appointed to Isakson’s seat, Collins would have kept the seat?
Kemp’s ability to manage the Covid-19 pandemic in Georgia is resulting in more cases and more deaths. Will the state’s funeral home owners be his biggest donor base?
Watch for floor fights in the Georgia legislature involving access to absentee ballots and early voting. Don’t let Republicans strip away access to the ballot. The same goes for discussions about changing the state constitution to allow the legislature to appoint the Secretary of State. Citizens must be able to directly hold the person responsible for overseeing elections accountable. That happens at the ballot box. Put your state representative and senator on speed dial.
On Thursday we were robbed of the newspaper headlines declaring Raphael Warnock as Georgia’s first black senator. I cannot wait to get the newspaper with his photo when he is sworn in. When he and Ossoff take their oath of office, whether she is there in person or not, Stacey Abrams will be in the photo. May all of us be the kind of citizen, and true patriot, that she is.