Stefan,
At this hour, our democracy is under an unprecedented assault.
An assault on the Capitol itself.
An assault on the people’s representatives, on the police officers sworn to
protect them, and the public servants who work at the heart of our
Republic.
An assault on the rule of law.
An assault on the most sacred of American undertakings: The doing of the
people’s business.
Let me be very clear: The scenes of chaos at the Capitol do not reflect the
true America.
This is not who we are.
What we are seeing is a small number of extremists dedicated to
lawlessness.
This is not dissent. It is disorder. It is chaos. It borders on sedition.
And it must end. Now.
I call on this mob to pull back and allow the work of democracy to go forward.
You’ve heard me say this in different contexts: the words of a President
matter, no matter how good or bad that president is.
At their best, the words of a president can inspire.
At their worst, they can incite.
To storm the Capitol, to smash windows, to occupy offices, and to threaten
the safety of duly elected officials is not protest.
It is insurrection.
The world is watching — and like so many other Americans, I am shocked and
saddened that our nation, so long a beacon of light, hope, and democracy
has come to such a dark moment.
Through war and strife, America has endured much. And we will endure here
and prevail now.
The work of the moment and the work of the next four years must be the
restoration of democracy and the recovery of respect for the rule of law,
and the renewal of a politics that’s about solving problems — not stoking
the flames of hate and chaos.
America is about honor, decency, respect, and tolerance.
That’s who we are. That’s who we’ve always been.
The certification of the Electoral College votes is supposed to be a sacred
ritual in which we affirm the majesty of American democracy.
Today is a reminder, a painful one, that democracy is fragile.
To preserve it requires people of good will, leaders with the courage to
stand up, who are devoted not to pursuit of power and personal interest at
any cost, but to the common good.
Think of what our children who are watching are thinking. Think of what the
rest of the world is looking at.
For nearly two and a half centuries, we the people, in search of a more
perfect union, have kept our eyes on that common good.
America is so much better than what we’re seeing today.
Watching the scenes from the Capitol, I was reminded of Abraham Lincoln’s
words in an annual message to the Congress whose work has today been
interrupted by chaos.
President Lincoln said: “We shall nobly save or meanly lose, the last best
hope of earth….The way is plain, peaceful, generous, just — a way which, if
followed, the world will forever applaud, and God must forever bless.”
Our way is plain here, too. It is the way of democracy, of lawfulness, and
of honor — respect for each other, and for our nation.
Notwithstanding what we’ve seen today, I remain optimistic about the
incredible opportunities.
There has never been anything we can’t do when we do it together. And this
God-awful display today is bringing home to every Republican, Democrat, and
Independent in the nation that we must step up.
This is the United States of America.
President Trump, step up.
May God Bless America.
May God protect our troops and everyone at the Capitol who is trying to
protect the order.
Thank you,
Joe Biden
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