There is a different path…
We all watched with horror at the riots in the nation’s capital. We all understand that America is a place with strong feelings, and a place where freedoms are protected and expressed. We all support those freedoms.
As a country, we must reject mobs and rioters. And that is what we saw yesterday in our nation’s capital.
Our country is built on a commitment to “ordered liberty” — shorthand for the rule of law, reason, and civil discourse. We have largely avoided the curse of those nations whose political battles are won through violence or implied violence. Our great hope is to be or to become a place where might does not equal right.
Our country has been at risk for some time now. We have watched a mob and murder in Charlottesville, street battles between the left and right, control of cities relinquished, and now an assault on the Capitol building and the legislative branch of our federal government.
For several weeks culminating yesterday, the president and commander-in-chief’s actions fueled and then failed to forcefully discourage protests that resulted in riots, death and one of the most troubling homegrown attacks on our institutions.
It is time for a transfer of power and for our leaders to respect our laws and our institutions.
For all of us, there is a different path — it is well worn. It is grounded in facts, sharpened by reason, and for centuries has served this country well. It has allowed individuals to pursue their dreams, build lives and raise families. It has inspired the creation of voluntary associations like Pioneer and the political activities of many leaders who seek to improve our communities.
Ordered liberty may sound old-fashioned. It isn’t. It is an enduring foundation of a democratic republic. We can and must choose to be better than our broken, hyper-partisan political climate. As Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president, noted in his second inaugural speech, it is time for our leaders and all of us to “bind up the nation’s wounds” and “to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”
As always, Pioneer will do its part by focusing on facts and seeking out solutions to our country’s most pressing challenges. As we grow our communications capabilities, we will be even more energetically engaged in the necessary healing process.
Sincerely,
Jim Stergios,
Executive Director, Pioneer Institute
