John,
One hundred years ago today, armed white supremacists destroyed the vibrant Black community known as Black Wall Street in Tulsa Oklahoma. Thirty-five square blocks were turned into smoldering ashes, as many as 300 Black Americans murdered, and over 1,000 homes and businesses were looted and destroyed.
That was 100 years ago, but it could still happen again today.
On January 6th, a little over 100 days ago, we all watched as armed white supremacists attacked the capitol. Five people are dead, every Member of Congress and the Vice President were forced to run and hide from a murderous mob intent on killing many of them. Maybe all of them.
Now, Congressman Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene are traveling the country holding rallies, inciting violence, and calling for Republicans to prepare for an "armed rebellion." Here's just a little of what Matt Gaetz has said this week alone:
"We have a Second Amendment in this country, and I think we have an obligation to use it"
"(the Second Amendment is) not about hunting, it’s not about recreation, it’s not about sports."
"(It's about) the ability to maintain an armed rebellion against the government if that becomes necessary.”
Meanwhile Marjorie Taylor Greene stands by his side, continues to use hate speech and racist rhetoric to amp up her supporters while never recanting her support for the execution of her colleagues, including Speaker Pelosi.
This is how a massacre like Tulsa happens and why no one was ever held accountable. Elected leaders never stood up to the violence because they were a part of the problem that made the violence happen. Their support for violent rhetoric in advance and in-action afterwards told white supremacist what they needed to know: you're safe to do it again "if that becomes necessary."
Democrats must take action, stand up to white supremacists, and set a standard for Members of Congress: If you call for armed rebellion, insurrection and the murder of elected leaders, you can not be seated in the U.S. House of Representatives. Please add your name now.
On this anniversary, of all anniversaries, we can't sit back and say that's the past. That won't happen again. That's not the America we live in now.
Because it can happen again. It already has.
Over and over again white supremacist violence has murdered people of color and destroyed whole communities almost always without accountability. And now, it's a threat to our entire democracy.
When will it ever be enough for Congress to act? When will our leaders understand that they set the standard?
Republicans aren't going to expel Matt Gaetz or Marjorie Taylor Greene. Democrats must do it. NOW. Or we'll have another insurrection. They'll be another unthinkable massacre like what happened in Tulsa 100 years ago.
Don't let history repeat. Demand Congress take calls for white supremacist violence seriously and expel Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene now.
In solidarity,
— Tre
Tre Graves
Campaign Organizer
Democracy for America
