I watched the inauguration of Joseph Biden on C-Span to avoid the comments of the spin masters and talking heads. I thrilled to the quotes of Abraham Lincoln, Biden’s own soundbite, “Let us end this uncivil war,” and the beautiful poetry of Amanda Gorman, Youth Poet Laureate.
Then I heard a guest on Fox News, a young woman of color, describe the president’s inaugural speech as “trite.” I groaned inwardly and felt deflated. This morning I woke to an email from a liberal friend who forwarded even more disturbing comments from Democratic leaders, including the president himself.
I realize that they were first posted on a conservative blog out of Missouri, but they are now circulating widely. Shame on any of those who made such comments. As the saying goes, “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: “I don’t even know why there aren’t uprisings all over the country. Maybe there will be.”
Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder: “When they go low, we kick them.”
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ): “Go to the Hill today. Get up and please, get up in the face of some Congress people.”
Then-candidate Joe Biden: “They asked me if I would like to debate this gentleman. I said ‘No.’ I said, ‘If I were in high school, I’d take him behind the gym and beat the hell out of him.’”
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA): “Let’s make sure we show up wherever we have to show up, and if you see anybody from that cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd. And you push back on them. And you tell them they are not welcome. Anymore. Anywhere.”
NY Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo: “He can’t come back to New York. He can’t. He’s gonna walk down the street in New York. Forget bodyguards. He better have an army if he thinks he’s gonna walk down the street in New York.”
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA): “If the president does go ahead and fire Robert Mueller, we would have people take to the streets. I believe there would be widespread civil unrest because Americans understand that the rule of law is paramount.”
Nancy Pelosi, again: “Sunday morning. I just came from Mass, but nonetheless I’ll just say this. If you’re in the arena, you’ve got to be ready to take a punch. You got to be ready to throw a punch, for the children.”
Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT): “Even in states where Donald Trump won big, I don’t think that it does you any good running away from Donald Trump. I think you need to go back and punch him in the face. I mean, the truth is that this guy is bad for this country.”
Rep. Cynthia Johnson (D-MI): “So this is just a warning to you Trumpers. Be careful. Walk lightly. We ain’t playing with you. Enough of the shenanigans. Enough is enough. And for those of you who are soldiers, you know how to do it. Do it right. Be in order. Make them pay.” I think that all of you should apologize publicly for your comments! Put your whole souls in it. I’m just a citizen wanting the uncivil war to end!
Carole J. Garrison 