The people who breached the U.S. capitol on Jan 6, and the elected officials calling for the election not to be certified that day, claim to be the ultimate patriots. What happened in the streets of DC and in state capitols across the country is nothing short of treason. It was a coordinated attack on our democratic institutions, the peaceful transfer of power, and the integrity of our election systems. This attack came from the same people who in November of 2020 called for Philadelphia to stop counting its votes to ensure that Donald Trump would be able to steal the election.
In 2020, organizers, activists and election officials worked tirelessly to make sure Philadelphians voted in a free and fair election. They then continued to work after election day to make sure those votes were actually counted because Republicans were working just as hard to make sure they weren’t. Trump supporters filed injunctions to shut down the count several times. They sent death threats to election officials for simply doing their job. They called in bomb threats to buildings adjacent to where the votes were being counted. In an act of extremism, four people drove to Philadelphia with an SUV full of weapons with the intention to stop the count by any means. That SUV was stopped by law enforcement less than five blocks from the convention center where the votes were being counted.
The problem we must wrestle with now is that the “Big Lie” that has fueled the attacks on our democracy and its citizens is no longer just a fringe movement. It is the central organizing theme of the Republican party and its elected members, in Pennsylvania and across the nation.
Republican legislators and candidates, from federal office all the way down to our local school boards, are embracing a toxic cocktail of irrational conspiracy theories and fears of shifting racial and class demographics. They are doing this because they do not believe they will be able to hold onto power otherwise. They must undermine the electoral process and prevent people from voting if they want to stay in power.
A new poll out this week found that 40% of Republican voters believe violence against the government is sometimes justified. They are being fueled by a right-wing media echo chamber, but more disturbingly, they are also being fueled by duly elected Republicans at all levels of government who spread lies about our election systems and demonize anyone with the audacity to disagree.
The attack on our democracy is real, and we’re seeing that come to fruition here in Pennsylvania. The consequences of our inaction will be dire. Donald Trump’s havoc on our government will pale in comparison to what could happen.
While Pennsylvania families are concerned about putting food on the table, their kids’ schools having the resources they need, prescription drug prices, and continuing to fight a COVID-19 pandemic that continues to rage across the Commonwealth, the Pennsylvania GOP is in Harrisburg fighting to keep their own power instead of fighting for their constituents. That is just the beginning.
This is why the work that grassroots organizations do is so important. They both help Pennsylvanians survive the harmful policies of the Republican Party and fight to save our democracy at the same time. Groups like New Pennsylvania Project and Working Families Party are using all of their resources to make it easy for working class people to vote and have their voices heard. Organizations like the Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance (API-PA) and Make The Road and CASA are doing the same for the largest growing demographic groups in the state. Common Defense is working to make sure veterans’ voices are heard as the democracy they fought to protect erodes. These organizations and those like them need our support because they are the first line of defense every time our democracy is at risk -- which is all the time.
Our democracy is more than fragile: it is on the brink of collapse. Our fundamental institutions barely held up to the anti-democratic attacks of the 2020 elections. We as concerned voters need to decide if we want it to fade away quietly or if we want to fight back. Republicans and “Big Lie” conservatives have already proven that they are ready to overthrow the government to maintain power. The question that remains is if everyone else is willing to stand aside and let them.
Deborah Rose Hinchey is the Executive Director of Better PA.
In 2020, organizers, activists and election officials worked tirelessly to make sure Philadelphians voted in a free and fair election. They then continued to work after election day to make sure those votes were actually counted because Republicans were working just as hard to make sure they weren’t. Trump supporters filed injunctions to shut down the count several times. They sent death threats to election officials for simply doing their job. They called in bomb threats to buildings adjacent to where the votes were being counted. In an act of extremism, four people drove to Philadelphia with an SUV full of weapons with the intention to stop the count by any means. That SUV was stopped by law enforcement less than five blocks from the convention center where the votes were being counted.
The problem we must wrestle with now is that the “Big Lie” that has fueled the attacks on our democracy and its citizens is no longer just a fringe movement. It is the central organizing theme of the Republican party and its elected members, in Pennsylvania and across the nation.
Republican legislators and candidates, from federal office all the way down to our local school boards, are embracing a toxic cocktail of irrational conspiracy theories and fears of shifting racial and class demographics. They are doing this because they do not believe they will be able to hold onto power otherwise. They must undermine the electoral process and prevent people from voting if they want to stay in power.
A new poll out this week found that 40% of Republican voters believe violence against the government is sometimes justified. They are being fueled by a right-wing media echo chamber, but more disturbingly, they are also being fueled by duly elected Republicans at all levels of government who spread lies about our election systems and demonize anyone with the audacity to disagree.
The attack on our democracy is real, and we’re seeing that come to fruition here in Pennsylvania. The consequences of our inaction will be dire. Donald Trump’s havoc on our government will pale in comparison to what could happen.
While Pennsylvania families are concerned about putting food on the table, their kids’ schools having the resources they need, prescription drug prices, and continuing to fight a COVID-19 pandemic that continues to rage across the Commonwealth, the Pennsylvania GOP is in Harrisburg fighting to keep their own power instead of fighting for their constituents. That is just the beginning.
This is why the work that grassroots organizations do is so important. They both help Pennsylvanians survive the harmful policies of the Republican Party and fight to save our democracy at the same time. Groups like New Pennsylvania Project and Working Families Party are using all of their resources to make it easy for working class people to vote and have their voices heard. Organizations like the Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance (API-PA) and Make The Road and CASA are doing the same for the largest growing demographic groups in the state. Common Defense is working to make sure veterans’ voices are heard as the democracy they fought to protect erodes. These organizations and those like them need our support because they are the first line of defense every time our democracy is at risk -- which is all the time.
Our democracy is more than fragile: it is on the brink of collapse. Our fundamental institutions barely held up to the anti-democratic attacks of the 2020 elections. We as concerned voters need to decide if we want it to fade away quietly or if we want to fight back. Republicans and “Big Lie” conservatives have already proven that they are ready to overthrow the government to maintain power. The question that remains is if everyone else is willing to stand aside and let them.
Deborah Rose Hinchey is the Executive Director of Better PA.