The election …
of President Joseph Biden in November 2020, coincided with an intensified attack on democracy in the United States.
The defeated …
candidate and former president refused to accept the results of a democratic election and perpetrated the fiction that he was somehow the victor and the election had been “stolen.”
Insurrectionist attack
This stand culminated on January 6, 2021, when the former president incited a violent insurrectionist attack upon the U.S. Capitol, for the purpose of preventing Congress from verifying the election results as required by the Constitution.
The mob came
armed with mace, baseball bats, tasers and more.
Police Officers were injured
Over 140 police officers suffered physical injuries, some significant; one died.
An insurrectionist was shot
Many police officers now suffer from PTSD and four have since committed suicide. One insurrectionist was shot dead.
The counting
of electoral votes and certification of Biden’s win was delayed by a day. For the first time in United States history, there was not a peaceful transfer of power.
Unleashed
by years of norm-breaking by the prior Administration, supporters and followers of the former president continue to present a clear and present danger to American democracy as we know it.
Radical right fringe
There is no longer any daylight between the radical right fringe and Republican leadership.
The rule of law under attack
From state and local government levels to the U.S. Congress and the Presidency, threats of physical violence follow citizens who work for the general welfare of their communities, who abide by and attempt to enforce the rule of law.
Further threats
Threats of further armed insurrection against the governments in the United States, large and small, are periodically raised in town halls, on campaign trails, or during protests over issues.
Harassing vote counters
Further efforts to discourage and disenfranchise voters—in voter registration, ballot access, or counting of votes—have a catastrophic effect on our democracy and our communities.
A growing insurgency
In the midst of a growing insurgency of a minority that is illustrating its willingness to sacrifice our lives on the altar of ideology, stopping those extremists from manipulating the election systems to seize control of the country has become imperative.
At a tipping point
LAAD recognizes that democracy in the U.S. is fragile, at a tipping point, and requires all our efforts to prevent a potential descent into authoritarianism.
