The Attempted Insurrection and Domestic Terror Attack of January 6, 2021
Statement from the Chair
January 7, 2021
Friends,
I did not sleep well last night, and I do not believe I was the only one. Yesterday, we witnessed an armed mob attempt a coup d’etat on live television that resulted in the death of one domestic terrorist and the ransacking of our Capitol for the first time since the British invaded in 1814. This was not a surprising conclusion to the violent, divisive, and dangerous past four years of President Trump’s tenure, but it was certainly unprecedented and undeniably unacceptable.
While it is my sincere hope that investigations are launched into how the Capitol Police failed so miserably to protect the greatest democratic institution in the history of written civilization, what kept me from sleep last night was not the security failures, but the societal ones that led to the storming of the Capitol Building.
The problems are systemic, institutionalized, and too numerous to list here. I see a nation with an education system that has been failing generations of Americans long before Education Secretary DeVos drove the train off the rails; news and social media monopolies that have been given free rein over the content they push for Americans to digest; laws that make incumbent politicians virtually untouchable and gerrymandered districts that serve as incubators for candidates to race to the far extremes of their political ideologies to ensure electoral victories; and, yes, I have observed a Democratic Party that has historically failed to stand up to the insanity of the hijacked opposition party over the past few decades. These are the cracks in our society’s foundation that led to the election of a demagogue, the elevation and empowerment of his supporters, and the destructive violence we witnessed in the very halls President-elect Biden will walk through on his way to take the oath of office.
While I am confident this nation and the world will observe a peaceful transition of power on January 20, both the problems and the people that were the catalysts to this terrorist attack on our soil will remain after President Trump departs. For this reason, at the monthly meeting of the Talbot County Democratic Central Committee (TCDCC) this Saturday (January 9, 2021), I will be formally requesting the TCDCC consider and vote to:
Condemn the acts of violence from January 6, 2021 and the domestic terrorists that that perpetrated this attack on our democracy;
Approach our fellow Democratic central committees in Maryland’s First Congressional District for the purposes of exploring the options available for the congressional censure, congressional removal from office, or constituent-led recall of Congressman Andy Harris (MD-1) for his treacherous dissemination of misinformation concerning the 2020 Election, his active encouragement of seditious behavior by an angry and armed mob, and his alleged physical and/or verbal altercation only describable as conduct unbecoming of a Member of Congress that took place in the early hours of January 7, 2021 on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives; and to
Formally request the Maryland Democratic Congressional Delegation to pursue any legislative or constitutional vehicle necessary for the expedited removal of Donald Trump from the Office of President of the United States.
The darkest hour is just before the dawn. Simultaneous to the storming of our Capitol, Democrats secured the second victory in the Georgia Senate races and effectively flipped the Senate to Democratic control. Americans are once again free of Mitch McConnell’s death grip on the U.S. Senate for the first time since my old boss, former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, led our caucus. I am proud of the role Talbot’s volunteers played in these Georgia races and I want to thank you all for your continued activism, support, and work for your local Party and, more importantly, your country.
It does not get said enough, but during this political crisis I want to remind you that we work for you. If you have any questions or comments, I hope you reach out and tell us what you are thinking and how you are feeling. I say this often because it is true: your voice matters. Tell us what you want to see in your Party and help us accomplish it together. Inaction and nonparticipation are the ingredients to fascism. One political party in this country has been felled by the poisons of ignorance and no accountability. Get involved, get your hands dirty with us, consistently raise your expectations for us.
I am truly honored to serve as your Chair and fight for Talbot Democrats during these troubling times. We will make it through this, we will persevere, and as long as people like you remain committed to the democratic experiment that is the United States of America, I have every confidence that this Republic will not fall quietly into the darkness.
Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay committed.
Yours in Solidarity,
Patrick Firth
Chair
Talbot County Democratic Party
