Time to let the Big Lie die and disappear

To the Times:

We are living through one of the most traumatic political times in our nations’ history. With President Trump impeached for the second time because of the “high crime and misdemeanor” of inspiring an attack on our Capitol building, the nation is grappling with the after effects of living with four years based upon division and lies.

Trump got his political start peddling the racist lie that President Obama was born in Kenya, not the U.S. He is ending his presidency on the Big Lie that he won the 2020 election and it was “stolen from him!” Millions of his followers believed him, to the point of his most rabid supporters attacking our Capitol because they really believed this cynical and dangerous lie that the country was being taken from them.

The result is that Trump has made himself a pariah, and the Trump brand is toxic. Twitter has banned his account, the PGA has severed ties with his golf courses, Corporations are shunning him and most Republicans have stated the obvious: that Joe Biden will be the next president.

Political leaders on both sides of the aisle are pleading for the unity of all Americans in this fractious time.

Joe Biden’s mantra has been all about reunifying the nation.

But make no mistake, there can be no unity until every politician who repeated, and supported the Big Lie about the 2020 election does a mea culpa and states publicly that Trump lied and people died. It is impossible for our nation’s leaders and citizens to have two diametrically opposed views of the 2020 election, and have Joe Biden have any chance at unifying the nation.

For elected leaders who continue to carry on that poisonous message, shame on them! They should be shunned and denied committee assignments. For those such as Liz Chaney, Adam Kinzinger and others, they should be supported and praised for having the courage to do the right thing. For the good of the country, the Big Lie must die with the man who spewed it walking away alone, and in disgrace. Only then will we have a chance to form a more perfect union.

Tom Buglio, Malvern