A couple of days ago a friend posted “Remember that feeling you got when the second plane hit the twin towers and you realized what was going on? You should have that feeling again right now.” Given our vastly different views about this election and the current presidency, I am not 100% sure what he intended to reference and won’t speculate. But it got me to thinking… The real feeling we need to remember is the day we realized Timothy McVeigh, a United States Army veteran, was the person responsible for parking a van full of explosives in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995, lighting the bomb, and killing 168 innocent souls including little children who had only begun to live.
If you can remember that day and the many afterwards, they were horrific. Then to learn Americans were responsible for that act of domestic terrorism was almost unfathomable. That was my feeling Wednesday learning that Trump supporters, incited by President Trump himself, desecrated the center of our democracy when they burst into the Capitol to disrupt the Electoral College vote. Fellow Americans were fed lies and told they didn’t have to abide by the Constitution of the United States – the foundation of our nation – and could take over by might. People basically pissing on the Constitution for one man… It was beyond unfathomable to me. And five lives have been lost…
Knowing that this particular friend isn’t the only one who might read this with vastly different opinions than me on this election, I say this in rebuttal to your pending remarks should you choose to make any. This has been the most litigated election in the history of our country and no proof of anything substantial enough to change the results of the election has been presented. There have been multiple jurisdictions at many levels, presided over by both Republican and Democratic justices, that rejected case after case. Republican election officials in Georgia have been vilified for doing their jobs. That state election alone has been more scrutinized than any other. I would think the Republican leaders would have rooted out any suspicion of fraud to give their candidate the win. I respect their integrity for not “finding” those votes, but honoring their oaths of office. Further, the Department of Justice said there wasn’t proof of enough fraud to change the results of this election. Consequently the election wasn’t stolen from President Trump. He lost.
Some of the most hypocritical displays during this election challenge were the numerous candidates from Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and other states also elected November 3 having the balls to say THEY were elected fairly, but President-elect Biden wasn’t when they were on the same ballots. Are you kidding me? If President-elect Biden’s win is tainted in that state, then so are all of the others. President Trump began to sow doubts in the election process months before we even went to the polls, positioning himself perfectly to scream fraud if he lost. And scream he has. Sadly no amount of proof will ever convince most people who agree with him.
For those stating there needs to be something done to restore trust in elections, I agree. But that responsibility belongs to the states, not the Federal Government. Each state needs to assess their methodology for deficiencies and make improvements. Disputes belong in the court system, not in the partisan world of Washington DC, adjudicated by someone looking to score points for their next election. I wish more thought of themselves as I heard Senator Sasse from Nebraska describe himself during the Electoral College debates – as servant-leaders. They are there to serve us and not themselves. Members from both parties fail miserably in this regard. If we really want to fight for change – let’s fight for term limits in Congress.
The weight of all these issues is heavy and my prayers are many. I pray for the families of those who died as a result of the riot on Wednesday. I pray for calm over the next two weeks. I pray for President Trump as he moves to the next phase of his life. I pray for President-elect Biden as he takes office during this tumultuous time both politically and with thousands still dying from COVID. I pray for our government and that the choices they make move us forward in ways that benefit all Americans. And I pray for fractured relationships so heavily damaged over these past 4 years between friends and families. In some ways that is the saddest part of all.
Discovering Grace 