On the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol — an assault on democracy — neither of the two major political parties have regard for democratic norms.
Through the deception that he won the 2020 presidential election, then-President Donald Trump inspired a mob of supporters to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power. Too many Republicans still pointlessly sought to dispute the election. Too many Republicans, such as Rep. Andrew Clyde, have downplayed the seriousness of such an event. That matters because any political violence in a democracy, whether rioting in the streets or the Capitol, is inexcusable and immoral.
Further challenges to democratic norms continue.
Rather than live quietly as most former presidents do, Trump has backed primary challengers to Republican secretaries of state, including Georgia’s Brad Raffensperger, who refused to overturn the election in Trump’s favor. Trump also seeks to oust any Republican, such as Rep. Liz Cheney, who has stood on principle against him. Ostracizing dissent is unhealthy in a democracy. Furthermore, there are Republicans such as Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar who have peddled bigotry and made threats against fellow elected officials.
Meanwhile, Democrats are seeking to subvert democracy with calls to pack the Supreme Court. The Democratic Party has also attempted to abolish the legislative filibuster, which prevents “the tyranny of the majority.” Democrats also push legislation — including the For the People Act, Freedom to Vote Act, and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act — that would federalize the election system and undermine GOP-led legislation that ensures greater voting security. Last I checked, power grabs are undemocratic.
Democratic-led states and communities have also pushed for oppressive coronavirus lockdowns and mandates while advancing critical race theory and other bigoted and perverse curricula that seek to divide by race, religion, and other personal backgrounds. Academically honest learning about the highs and lows of history has been relegated.
Jan. 6 was an attempt to undermine America. But the damage to our centuries-old democracy continues thanks to both Republicans and Democrats.
Jackson Richman is a journalist in Washington, D.C. Follow him @jacksonrichman.
