Page 50 - CLT020121

50 ¦ FEBRUARY 1, 2021 CLOSING ARGUMENT

EDITORIAL BOARD

Our Democratic Ideal Survives in the
Wake of Insurrection

The U.S. Capitol building and surrounding perimeter in Washington, D.C. on January 25, 2021.

T Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM
he origins of our democratic ideals lie in the or the furniture that was damaged, our demo-
revolt of the early settlers and colonists who cratic ideal was injured. But the democratic ideal
opposed the oppressive rule of monarchs. remains fully intact.
Rejecting the idea of vesting power in an individ- The origins of this riot are not seriously in dis-
ual ruler, they chose to elevate the power of the pute. Throughout the presidential campaign, and
people as the governing authority. increasing in the months leading up to the No-
Having established in the U.S. Constitution our vember election, the outgoing president repeat-
tripartite system of democratic governance, this edly claimed the only way he could lose the elec-
country has continued to pursue this democratic tion was by fraud. The lack of veracity of any such
ideal for more than 200 years. Yet, on January 6, claim is patently obvious. At that early time before
2021, we experienced an assault upon that demo- anyone cast a vote, clearly there was no proof of
cratic ideal led by a small band of reckless thugs. fraud. The election had not even started. Thus, any
Carrying flags in the name of their “king,” they such claim of fraud about an event that had not yet
smashed windows, broke into hallowed chambers occurred was completely devoid of any merit.
of our government and desecrated everything Nevertheless, Donald Trump repeatedly in-
they touched. Like the windows that were broken sisted time after time in populist, frenzied rallies

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