I find the cognitive dissonance in “Good Riddance 2021” astounding. The author, Diana Thorn, claims that the “socialist” democrats are destroying our republic. Yet when looking at the facts, it was the previous administration and his enablers that have attacked our democracy.
Beginning with Trump’s declaration that the free press, guaranteed by the First Amendment to our Constitution, was the enemy of the people, he clearly laid the groundwork for attacking our democracy. His attestations that elections were fraudulent, while lacking any proof whatsoever, further destabilized our democracy. Finally, on January 6, 2021, his supporting forces, seeking to dismantle our democracy, attacked the citadel of our nation, the Capitol.
No social program, be it Medicare, Social Security, or actual socialist organizations such as police or firefighters, have had such a profoundly negative impact on our republic.
We need to hold the perpetrators of the January 6 insurrection to account. But more importantly, we need to ensure that the facts of a free and fair election are embraced by all. Elected representatives (both House and Senate) who continue to claim fraud with no evidence should be expelled from government, as they are a major force in attacking the legitimacy of our democracy by undermining the trust of citizens. This is evident in the recognition (through polling) that two thirds of Republicans believe that elections were fraudulent, even though no proof has been presented. Without this basis in reality, we will be unable to move forward.