This is a wake-up call to dangers facing us
On Jan. 6, a mob split off from a larger protest and began an insurrection at our Capitol in Washington, D.C. It was encouraged by President Donald Trump, who refused to accept election results. Trump eventually asked the mob to leave, but only after the damage was done. The mob desecrated our Capitol building, breaking windows, riffling through members’ desks, occupying the Speaker’s Office and taking the podium. The House and Senate were forced to suspend proceedings while the building was cleared.
Those participating in and inciting illegal conduct should be brought to justice.
What happened on Jan. 6 was a terrible escalation of the mob rule notion, which many U.S. cities experienced last year. Portions of Seattle and Portland were occupied. A police station was destroyed in Minneapolis. Courthouses, other buildings and statues were vandalized. And stores were looted and burned in cities throughout the country. People could not walk safely on city streets
Mobs are mobs regardless of whether or not we sympathize with their motivations. There are not good mobs. They are all aimed at replacing freedom with intimidation.
As I wrote on in October in The San Diego Union-Tribune: “Although protests are the exercise of freedom, mobs are incompatible with freedom. Mobs use fear, intimidation and violence to silence opposing voices. They ignore the rights and property of others. They cancel history to humiliate their targets. They make demands to circumvent the normal policy-making process in a free society designed to allow opposing viewpoints to be heard.
“We don’t need mob rule to get positive change. No one has to burn down buildings to be heard. Those who do are not trying to be heard, but are trying to dictate their demands through intimidation and violence. Unchecked mobs are reminiscent of 1930s Germany. That era demonstrates what can happen in a culture governed by demagoguery and mob rule operating above the law.”
Those who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6 were trying to dictate their demands to overturn election results. It was despicable.
Clearly, bitter divisions remain from the Trump presidency. Supporters claim Trump was undermined from the outset of his presidency. Opponents claim he brought much of that on himself. Both sides have some legitimate points.
However, the way we resolve disputes in our country is through elections, not mob intimidation. Challenges to the election results were unsuccessful in court, state processes and Congress. They were certified and President-elect Joe Biden won.
Hopefully, Jan. 6 was a wake-up call to the dangers of mobs and divisiveness.
There are many policy issues facing this country beginning with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on lives and livelihoods. Beyond that are serious issues on such subjects as race, the environment, spending, education and hostile foreign powers. We cannot solve our problems as a deeply divided country.
Biden is right to advocate unity and compromise. We can only achieve that through open discussions and debates without the distraction of mobs trying to intimidate our people and elected representatives.
Jan Goldsmith is a former San Diego city attorney. He lives in San Diego.