Because This Is America!

Weekly News, Updates, and Events

We As Democrats Believe:

Trump-inspired Mob Defiles U.S. Capitol

Years of hate-filled, divisive rhetoric from President Donald Trump and his supporters reached a shameful yet predictable climax on Wednesday.  A mob whipped into a frenzy by bogus claims about a fraudulent Presidential election stormed the U.S. Capitol leading to the deaths of five people including a Capitol police officer. Trump tweeted on December 20 that it was "statistically impossible" that Joe Biden had defeated him in the November 2020 elected. He summoned his supporters to Washington D.C. tweeting "Big protest in DC on January 6. Be there, will be wild." Media reports Wednesday indicated about 30,000 Trump supporters heeded the call and gathered for a "Save America March," where Trump exhorted the crowd to march on the Capitol as legislators met to certify the Biden election win.

A mob formed and overwhelmed a totally inadequate force of Capitol police. They forced their way into the Capitol and swept into Congressional offices and even occupied legislative chambers minutes after Senators and Representatives in gas masks were led to secure hiding places. Numerous media outlets reported that President Trump watched the mayhem on television and had to be pressured by staff members to make a statement calling for an end to the violence. In his recorded statement he repeated the lie that the election had been stolen, and ended his statement by telling the rioters "We love you; you're very special."

Trump's actions led to widespread calls that he be immediately removed from office. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi urged that Trump resign or that Vice-President Mike Pence force Trump from office invoking the 25th Amendment. No movement seems to be happening on either option, so members of the House of Representatives are to consider an Article of Impeachment today charging Trump with "incitement of insurrection." 

Read Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's statement about the day that "will live forever in infamy" here.

Trump-inspired Legislators Defile U.S. Democracy

With blood still staining the breached halls of the U.S. Capitol, Republican Legislators including Wilmington representative David Rouzer went forward with a vote to overturn the results of the 2020 Presidential election. A joint session of the U.S. Senate and House was held January 6 to count the certified electoral votes to officially award the Presidency to Joe Biden. Though the vote is usually a scarcely noticed ceremonial function, President Trump focused on the event as a last-ditch chance to subvert the will of American voters. Republican Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley led an effort to challenged electoral votes from several swing states based on thoroughly debunked claims of election irregularities. The assault on the Capitol disrupted their efforts to toss out votes to shift the election to Trump, but they amazingly went back to the plan after Congress reconvened late Wednesday night after the MAGA riot. 

Rouzer and six other Republican members of the North Carolina delegation voted to support the objections to validating the Biden Presidency. Rouzer said in a television interview (click here to view) that he participated in a "constitutionally protected debate on election security."  Even though Trump election complaints were tossed out of court in more than 60 court cases, Rouzer said there are "competing views" on each side of the debate, and "both of them have tremendous amounts of merit." North Carolina's Republican Senators Thom Tillis and Richard Burr voted against the objections. Senator Burr said President Trump "bears responsibility" for the attack on the Capitol "because of the unfounded conspiracy theories that led to this point." Congressman Rouzer signed on to many of the same unfounded (and disproved!) conspiracy theories when he added his name to a lawsuit filed by the Texas AG. See Details of the Texas lawsuit here.

Vaccine Rollout Creates Hope As COVID Pandemic Rages

Through the end of last week, just over 150,000 people in North Carolina had received vaccinations for the COVID-19 virus, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. (See DHHS vaccination dashboard here.) The first shots were slated for health care workers and residents and staff of long-term care facilities. Next on the list for shots are residents 75 years old or older, and that group is beginning to be vaccinated now. (See an article on New Hanover County vaccinations here.)

Nationwide the efforts to get shots into arms have been slow and uneven. The Trump administration promised 20 million vaccinations by the end of 2020, but only about 3 million were completed by December 31, according to the Reuters news agency. Meanwhile the pandemic continues to grow worse with a record 4,085 American deaths recorded in a single day last week. The current total U.S. COVID death toll has surpassed 365,000. DHHS says 96 of those deaths have been in New Hanover County. The agency says New Hanover County is currently in critical/red status indicating severe community spread. 

President-elect Joe Biden has plans to ramp up vaccination administration when he takes office and promised 100 million vaccinations in his first 100 days.

Biden Harris Inaugural Day of Service: Food Drive For Nourish NC 

Petition Seeks Scrutiny of New Foundation From Hospital Sale