Words Matter: A Functioning Democracy Hangs in the Balance

This morning, Joe Biden became the 46th President of the United States. Just two weeks ago to the date, the U.S. Capitol was breached, as elected representatives hid from rioters. On a day when we celebrate democracy, the power of the people to choose who leads them, we cannot ignore the startling threat to our democratic institutions witnessed in a terrifying display just 14 days ago –– and the words that brought that display to fruition. 

The Jan. 6 riot by a pro-Trump mob in the nation’s capital marked the explosive conclusion of Trump’s presidency, both literally with the certification of the Electoral College votes and figuratively with a violent and destructive demonstration. This event in D.C. was far from isolated, following more than four years of rampant falsehoods propagated online in chat rooms, by bad actors on social media platforms like Parler and by Trump himself. More than that, the riot unequivocally demonstrated the racial discrimination that continues to corrupt the rhetoric and actions of Trump, other government officials, and an emboldened cadre of extremists.   

As collegiate journalists, we hold the First Amendment in the highest regard. We know words matter; in particular, the words of a country’s leaders matter –– their words can incite protest and enact real, demonstrable change. Their responses also indicate the causes they sympathize with and whose voices they bolster. To the mostly white protestors who gathered on Jan. 6, Trump’s sentiment was clear: 

“We love you. You’re very special. Go home,” Trump said, failing to outwardly condemn the violence to the nation until a week later. To the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protestors this summer (or “thugs,” as the president would call them), expressions of love were unsurprisingly absent. On July 27, Trump tweeted, “Anarchists, Agitators or Protestors who vandalize or damage our Federal Courthouse in Portland, or any Federal Buildings in any of our cities or states, will be prosecuted under our recently re-enacted Statues & Monuments Act. MINIMUM TEN YEARS IN PRISON. Don’t do it!” 

Meanwhile, pro-Trump rioters on Jan. 6 broke windows, occupied balconies and damaged furniture because the democratic process produced an undesirable result –– one that defied the falsehood that had absorbed their worldview. Despite various statements from the FBI Director Christopher Wray, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council and the Election Infrastructure Sector Coordinating Council –– who all verified the security and accuracy of the election results –– hundreds gathered in D.C. to protest the “stolen” election. 

The U.S. Capitol was breached on Jan. 6, just two weeks before Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States. Source: Timothy Neesam (GumshoePhotos)

The hypocrisy speaks volumes: the pro-Trump rioters who cried “Build the Wall” and “Blue Lives Matter” spat in the face of law and order on Jan. 6. Some rioters even beat an officer who tried to prohibit them from entering, who later died from his injuries. While BLM protestors encountered tear gas and rubber bullets in cities across the country, the mob at the Capitol climbed walls and stormed through hallways with seemingly little resistance from police. Footage showed police officers succumbing to protestors and even helping a woman down the stairs of the Capitol –– a stark juxtaposition of the same steps that the National Guard had occupied only months before during the BLM protests. 

The disparity here exemplifies a deeper divide, fostered through Trump’s words as a candidate and then as the country’s leader. Early in his campaign, Trump said Mexico was “not sending their best” immigrants to the U.S. and instead “sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.” He imposed a travel ban on predominantly Muslim countries in 2017, and branded COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus.” 

Trump has excelled at fostering fear of “the other;” and all too often, those “others” are people of color. None of these attitudes will disappear the moment Joe Biden takes office. As D.C. and other states scramble to prevent potential violence on Inauguration Day, it is clear that division, hypocrisy, disinformation and discrimination will continue to plague this country tomorrow. But a new administration provides a fresh page and recalls what the fruits of democracy look like: 159 million votes counted, a hand on the Bible, an oath taken. Democracy matters. Words matter. We ask the Biden administration to choose them wisely.