"The fabric of democracy is always fragile everywhere because it depends on the will of citizens to protect it, and when they become scared, when it becomes dangerous for them to defend it, it can go very quickly.".
Margaret Atwood
June 24, 2022
Dear President Biden:
Since January 2017, our fragile democracy has been, both subtly and overtly, under attack.
President Trump’s disregard for the Constitution, his baseless claims of a fraudulent election beginning in February 2020, his unwillingness to admit he lost the 2020 election and his refusal to engage in a peaceful transfer of power culminated in an attempted coup and the January 6th insurrection and attack on the Capitol.
Since then, all too many Republicans, more concerned with election primaries and avoiding the potential of Trump’s wrath, have continued to orchestrate his “big lie” and the former president’s mantra about Democrats, the Media and anyone who disagreed with him as being an “enemy of the people”.
The January 6th assault on the Capitol illustrates how potentially-tenuous our democracy truly is, how little regard many Americans have for its most important institutions and the number of people willing to embrace baseless conspiracy theories and outright lies proliferated by politicians who claim to love American but abhor our political system and whose ignorance of and disdain for the Constitution threatens both its guaranteed liberties and the future of our Republic.
While the causes for our deepening cultural schism are multifaceted, it is undeniable a significant majority of Americans are willfully ignorant about history and what they have to lose if our 233-year experiment in representative government fails.
Fortunately, a few have publicly stood-up to Donald Trump and labeled him for what he is, an egocentric autocrat only concerned with personal power and his pocketbook and who continues to represent a “clear and present danger” to our Constitution and our Republic. These public servants who have placed their oaths of office and allegiances to the Constitution above blind loyalty to any one individual or to personal considerations and helped preserve and protect our democracy … at least for now.
Although mostly Republicans whose political views differ, often dramatically, from mine and yours, three of them should be formerly recognized as shining examples of true American patriots for their courage and loyalty to our Constitution and democracy.
You, alone, have the power to do so by awarding them the Nation’s highest civilian honor, the President Medal of Freedom. As with nearly all of the prior 582 recipients each has clearly demonstrated “meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States”.
Former Vice President Mike Pence stood up to the president’s cajoling, pressure and threats to do what was constitutionally and morally right on January 6th. Then, when the Capitol was under siege, he refused to leave and was the only member of the Administration to reach out to DOD and Justice for help. Meanwhile, his boss was hunkered down in the White House while a mob of his unwitting supporters ransacked the building with chants of, “Hang Mike Pence”.
Congresswoman Liz Cheney and Congressman Adam Kinzinger, knowing their political careers were likely to be over not only spoke up and voted to impeach Trump but willingly volunteered for and have actively served on the January 6th Commission. As with Mike Pence, they put their oaths of office, the constitution and loyalty to the preservation of our Republic ahead of all other considerations.
I would further suggest these presentations of national gratitude be presented publicly and as soon as the January 6th Commission issues its final report as possible.
While such recognition may be seem as a form of disloyalty to your party by some Democrats, it would be making a strong statement that when the Constitution is threatened and our liberties and democracy is put in grave danger, partisan party politics must end.
As not only the president, but also a dedicated pubic-servant and a loyal American citizen, you are in a unique position to recognize and reward true patriotism.
Sincerely,
