January 6, 2021
Good evening friends and leaders,
Today we have been presented with a National emergency. Violent action was taken to undermine our democracy in a way none of us has seen in our lifetime. This was not an attempt from a foreign power, but from our own fellow citizens. This is a time of crisis and we as LWVUS cannot stand by as our democracy is threatened. Below you will find the statement the League will be issuing this evening. I wanted to share it with you as state leaders because we know this may be seen as controversial with some League members and because it is more direct than our messaging in the past.
Let me be clear – what happened today in our nation’s Capitol is not a partisan issue. It is a democracy issue. So as we navigate this uncharted territory, the entire board stands strongly behind this message. We have witnessed today an attack on American democracy by American forces, not foreign powers. Our elected officials and their staff were afraid for their lives. We are sad and we are mad but we will not shirk from our commitment to defend democracy and empower voters – in words and actions.
We will be in conversations in the coming weeks and months about our nonpartisanship policy in hyper-partisan times and I look forward to discussing with all of you the role the League plays in defending democracy.
Thank you, Deborah Turner, MD, JD
League Condemns Domestic Terrorist Attack on the U.S. Capitol
January 6, 2021 WASHINGTON – Today the League of Women Voters of the United States president Dr. Deborah Turner, CEO Virginia Kase, and the full board of directors issued the following statement in response to the violent demonstrations at the U.S. Capitol: “This is a dark day in the history of the United States of America. Today’s activity on Capitol Hill should have been a procedural exercise to finalize the 2020 election. Instead, our nation’s Capitol was attacked by domestic terrorists seeking to invalidate the will of the people. “The actions by these terrorists have had no impact on the results of the election. This violent mob was encouraged by an outgoing president who lost re-election in a free and fair election. “Donald Trump has emboldened and empowered violent agitators, perpetuated dangerous conspiracy theories, and dishonored the office of the President. Furthermore, the members of Congress who continuously lie to the American people about the proven legitimacy of this election are also responsible for today’s horrific events. There is blood on their hands. “The League of Women Voters of the United States calls on President Donald Trump to concede the election immediately. We call on all members of Congress to respect the certification process, condemn the actions of these terrorists, and support a peaceful inauguration on January 20th.” |