Yesterday, January 6, 2021, will be a day marked in history for extreme highs and extreme lows.
The voters of the state of Georgia handed control of the Senate to the Democrats, ensuring that President-elect Joe Biden's cabinet will be confirmed without delay and his agenda will be given a fair hearing. Raphael Warnock became the first Black man elected to the Senate from Georgia, and the first Black man elected as a Democrat in the South since reconstruction. Jon Ossoff became the first Jewish Senator from Georgia and the youngest Senator at 33 years of age. We owe these victories in large part to Stacey Abrams, and the organizers she led and inspired. This is the power of organizing and the power of the voters. Unfortunately, the joy of the election results was overshadowed by the attempted violent coup - it should not be called anything less - by Donald Trump and his most deluded supporters. It was horrific to watch them storm the Capitol building, carrying Confederate flags and Trump banners. At one point someone tore down the American flag and replaced it with a Trump flag. Even during the Civil War, a Confederate flag had NEVER fouled the United States Capitol building. Until Trump. I don't have to repeat everything you saw and heard yesterday. But we cannot forget that in the end, the fortress of democracy held. Congress reconvened within hours and started again to count the legally and fairly cast ballots of American citizens. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were confirmed as the winners and will be inaugurated on January 20th. Every election is a chance to reaffirm our commitment to democracy. Thank you for being voters, and thank you for standing up for American values.
Kristin Hansen
Executive Director
Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance