The Capitol insurrection...will we ever get the full truth?

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Our nation was born of noble convictions, and we have led the world in defending democracy. But we cannot lead if we fail to adhere to a common set of principles. These principles include the responsibility and the right of every American to cast his or her vote honestly and without unfair obstacles; fierce opposition to bigotry in all forms; adherence to the Constitution and to the rule of law; honorable and honest political leaders; market-based economies based upon individual freedom and intelligent, science-based regulation; freedom to express all views without fear of threats and condemnation; conservation of our wondrous planet's environment; safety from crime and a common defense against threats from terrorists and hostile nations. If most Americans cannot embrace these principles, which are based upon decency, integrity, and common sense, then we risk relinquishing the historic role of the United States as the beacon of democracy and the leader of the free world. Anti-democratic
leaders in states like China and Russia and terrorist organizations like ISIS and Al-Qaeda are betting that we will tear ourselves apart with tribalism and hatred. I'm still betting that we will come to our senses, use our democratic institutions to resolve our grievances and differences, and re-unite as a nation dedicated to the aspirations of our founders and to those who have in ways improved upon those aspirations. —Jim Greenwood, former U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania

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** Edsall: When an insurrection becomes a 'tourist visit'
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"The challenge facing Democrats goes beyond winning office. They confront an adversary willing to lie about past election outcomes, setting the stage for Republican legislatures to overturn future election returns; an opponent willing to nurture an insurrection if the wrong people win; a political party moving steadily from democracy to authoritarianism; a party that despite its liabilities is more likely than not to regain control of the House and possibly even the Senate in the 2022 midterm elections." —Thomas Edsall in The New York Times ([link removed])

Thomas Edsall is a columnist at The New York Times covering politics, demographics, and inequality.

MORE: House approves $1.9B for Capitol security after Jan. 6 riot, but Senate GOP calls for 'pause' —USA Today ([link removed])


** Richer: The election was not stolen in Maricopa County
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"In denying that Arizona's election was stolen ... I join the entire Maricopa County team. We are united—Republican (majority) and Democrat (minority) alike. The Board of Supervisors has carried the water for six months now. They have been subjected to every vile tactic in the book as a result. It's time they have teammates standing up for the truth beside them. Hopefully, by speaking out, other elected Arizona Republicans will be encouraged to do the same. Many elected officials have privately shared that they do not believe that Arizona's election was stolen. I hope they will speak out now. If they don't, I fear for the future of Arizona elections." —Stephen Richer on CNN ([link removed])

Stephen Richer is the Maricopa County recorder. He was elected, as a Republican, in November 2020, and took office in January.

MORE: Top Arizona elections official expresses 'grave concerns' voting equipment compromised by Cyber Ninjas, tells Maricopa County to toss voting machines used in GOP 'audit' —Insider ([link removed])


** Cordero & Larson: America must come to terms with the GOP crisis
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"[T]he longer it takes for the public conversation to recognize how dramatically the Republican Party has already shifted, the longer it will take to develop a coherent civic strategy to protect U.S. democracy going forward. And we do need a strategy, because this political crisis is not just the internal machinations of a single political party; it is a political crisis of a nation." —Carrie Cordero & Edward Larson in USA Today ([link removed])

Carrie Cordero is the Robert M. Gates Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security and an adjunct professor at Georgetown Law. Edward Larson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning legal historian, a professor at Pepperdine University, and the author of "Franklin & Washington: The Founding Partnership."

MORE: Reporter's phone and email records secretly obtained by Trump Administration —The Hill ([link removed])


** Roberts: Still no vaccine for the disinfo pandemic
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"[Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's] been trying to avoid responsibility for years—and in some ways, that's a good thing. Should a 36-year-old with absolutely no credentials as an ethical or editorial expert be the 'arbiter of truth' for 2.7 billion Facebook users? The answer is clearly no. But is government a better option? Should politicians be making those judgments? The whole idea leaves me queasy. Some version of an oversight board, a Supreme Court-like body that renders dispassionate, independent judgments that reconcile free speech and public safety, is probably the best alternative." —Steven Roberts in ([link removed]) Derby Informer ([link removed])

Steven Roberts teaches politics and journalism at George Washington University.

MORE: YouTube removes channel of major COVID-19 vaccine disinformation distributor —KTLA ([link removed])
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** Joseph: Reducing police killings is possible
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"We need to incentivize the police to use nondeadly force. ... There are a wide range of strategies that we need to adopt to minimize police killings. Now is the time for Congress and state legislators to act, to encourage nondeadly force, to outlaw chokeholds, and to limit police immunity." —Joel Joseph in The San Diego Union-Tribune ([link removed])

Joel Joseph is a civil rights attorney in practice in California.

MORE: Mayors 'reimagining public safety and policing' in wake of recent violence —Smart Cities Dive ([link removed])


** Taylor: The good guys are losing the fight against cybercrime
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"Action is urgently needed at the domestic and international levels to improve the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure—and to bring the criminal gangs responsible for these attacks to justice. The problem is that there are seemingly irreconcilable conflicts between the pressures felt by the individual organizations targeted by ransomware attackers and the public policy goals that could drive change in responding to them." —Emily Taylor in ([link removed]) World Politics Review ([link removed])

Emily Taylor is the CEO of Oxford Information Labs, an associate fellow with the International Security Program at Chatham House, the editor of the Journal of Cyber Policy, and a research associate at the Oxford Internet Institute.

MORE: Industry groups express cautious optimism about Biden's executive order on cybersecurity —The Washington Post ([link removed])


** McMullin & Taylor: America's challenge is the world's
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"Whether we are able to tamp down the GOP's extremist elements will mean the difference between an America that is a stable exemplar of an open society, or a cautionary tale of illiberalism's corrosive encroachment on the West. The challenge is not just a national one; it is global. The anti-democratic forces that have corrupted the Republican Party are spreading to other nations, giving all people a stake in the fight for freedom. Whether the side of Ulysses S. Grant's 'patriotism and intelligence' prevails in America is not merely a matter of politics but a test of democracy's durability in a new age of turmoil—a test that will have repercussions for our lives, our livelihoods, and our way of life." —Evan McMullin & Miles Taylor in The Economist ([link removed])

Evan McMullin is a former CIA operations officer, chief policy director of the House Republican Conference, and independent candidate for president. He is the co-founder and co-executive director of Stand Up Republic. Miles Taylor is a former chief of staff of the Department of Homeland Security, the co-founder of the Republican Political Alliance for Integrity and Reform, and the author of "A Warning." They are co-founders of the "Call for American Renewal" coalition.

MORE: Zack Stanton: How the 'culture war' could break democracy —Politico ([link removed])
If we avoid confronting what happened on January 6th, we can be sure that intimidation, coercion, and violence will become a defining feature of our politics. —Peter Meijer, U.S. Representative from Michigan (@RepMeijer) ([link removed])

Whenever Republicans complained about what they saw as Democratic intransigence to investigating "electoral fraud" following the 2020 election, their cry was, "What are you afraid of?" Will those same folks ask their own party that question re: what happened on Jan. 6? We know multiple agencies reported no evidence of widespread fraud. And we know from years past that voter fraud is almost unheard of. So Democrats have nothing, in fact, to be afraid of. It's the same birther nonsense all over again. If you pandered to it, you indulged the crazies. If you ignored it, the crazies asked, "What are you afraid of?"

The difference between now and what feels like 100 lifetimes ago—but is only 12 years ago—is that these crazies are in positions of power, and their numbers are growing. These Republicans who not-so-secretly endorsed what happened on Jan. 6 are not afraid of what a commision might find. They are afraid they won't get the chance at another Jan. 6—one that is led by a more competent person than Donald Trump. Trumpism represents the culmination of 40 years of right-wing malfeasance, and its apotheosis, as borne out on Jan. 6, rather than marking the end of a movement, actually is the beginning.

As soon as I get my EU passport, I'm leaving. Europe has its problems, some of them significant, but they pale in comparison to ours, and at least their dysfunction comes with a healthy societal safety net. —John G., Maine
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** The views expressed in "What's Your Take?" are submitted by readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff or the Stand Up Republic Foundation.
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