As I write, Congress will hold the votes of the Electoral College and formally ratify their votes for Joe Biden, the NEXT President of the United States. trump’s congressional enablers have put out the idea that the votes cast in the 2020 election-particularly the votes for Biden, in Pennsylvania, Michigan Wisconsin and Arizona-are somehow illegitimate or fraudulent or from dead people or what-have-you.
Leading the charge in the senate is Josh Hawley of Missouri, who, along with Ted Cruz of Texas, has complained that the votes of the 74 million people who (why?) voted from trump “are not going to be told their voices don’t matter,” ignoring the fact that 81 million voters voted for Biden. (https://www.vox.com/2021/1/2/22210509/ted-cruz-11-gop-senators-electoral-college-votes)
Along these lines, Cruz-still going to bat for the “man” who slandered his father and insulted the looks of his wife (what kind of man does that?) complained abut progressives and regular Americans protesting these Republican efforts to deny the legitimacy of trump’s defeat, and of the legitimacy of the election system, which has encouraged the most violent elements of the far-right such as the Proud Boys, saying “we need to tone down the rhetoric.” (https://www.rawstory.com/ted-cruz-electoral-college/) It’s as if peaceful protestors exercising their First Amendment rights are the ones causing the violence around trump’s defeat; he’s not paying attention to the threats against election workers during the election and after when they counted the votes; or the assault-rifle wielding mobs trying to raid the Oregon state capitol; or the Proud Boys riot in Washington, when they burned a “Black Lives Matter” sign from a venerable AME church and attacked people.
If this an act to play to the trump base, to gain the trumpist vote for a future run for President? Whenever the Republicans win, we’re told to be quiet and put up with it, and they rub our faces in their victory, enjoying our misery; but when we win, we’re supposed to be considerate of their feelings and not upset them, and they’re still right no matter if they lose or win, acting as if they’re still in charge, and a progressive or Democratic winner is a usurper, and the Republicans are the rightful heirs to the throne.
The Republican Party, and its conservative-rightist infestation, care nothing about democracy or anyone else’s rights but their own. They’re fighting tooth and nail for their right to discriminate against any manner of marginalized groups, workers, and women; and for billion-dollar conglomerates to to whatever it wants to the environment, their workers, and their communities without consequence, and to pay as little taxes as possible, preferably zero, and also get a tax rebate. THAT is their idea of “freedom” and “liberty.”
We will NOT allow these thugs and bullies to terrorize us, by thought, word, or physical force; we WILL stand up for our rights and a progressive agenda, for the good of all Americans.
