I write one week after the United States of America had an act of violence perpetrated against democracy itself. An act of terrorism--an act of sedition, against the United States government by far-right supporters of President Donald J Trump. These agitators took to the streets, broke into the Capitol Building, killed police officers, and hurt many others. I keep asking myself: How did we get here? Or, what led these extremists commit such heinous crime? Many would point to anger and outrage they feel. But violence is directed anger. So, what propelled their anger? This angry mob was directed and propelled by lies and misinformation. At the core, they were led to storm against the Capitol by the lies they still believe to be true.
The Unites States of America is at war against truth and common reality. It
is impossible to engage in any political discussions, or share different
opinions, if we cannot agree on facts. The current administration has spent
four year not only discrediting the media but attacking it and labeling it as
the enemy. In the process, we found ourselves now speaking of 'fake media',
'fake news', and in the midst of a massive widespread of propaganda and
misinformation. In just a few years, extreme platforms and news-sources
have become principal venues of how millions of Americans are consuming
news.
In a world where we cannot tell fact from fiction those in power abuse their
power. This is a playbook by any totalitarian-state. If you control the news,
you control what people believe, and if you control what people believe: power
is absolute. The attack on the Capitol Building on January 6th was only
the physical manifestation of many years attacking democracy on one of its
pillars the first amendment right on the freedom of the press. If you discredit
the press and create an alternate world and reality that you control, then the
inevitable becomes true, a violent manifestation against that which you are at
odds: democracy.
It is a long and strenuous path to restore our commitment to the truth.
Further, the first step towards this commitment must come from our leaders and
elected officials. Those who have been trusted to safeguard democracy and its
values. Unfortunately, the seed of deception has been deeply rooted and
continues to grow and spread. Some elected officials, despite everything we
have witnessed thus far, continue to perpetrate the lies that threaten the very
fabric of our country. They choose to continue to lie about the presidential
election and its fair and free process. And so, the future looks grim because if
we are not able to accept facts, we cannot express our differences civilly and
engage in any political process.
Jesus tells us that he is “the way, the truth, and the life,” and so anyone
that is at odds with the truth cannot be a friend of Jesus. Further, those not
committed to the truth speak the language of the evil one. For John, the
disciple of Jesus, tells us, “he [satan] is a liar and father of lies.” The
great Christian calling to love our neighbor does not abandoned a commitment to
the truth. For, how can we understand and love a Black-Lives-Matter neighbor if
we do not accept first the fact that institutionalized racism is a cancer in
our society? Or how can seek to understand our Trump-supporter neighbor if we do
not first accept and see first-hand the challenges of rural America? We cannot
build a society based on Christian values if we do not uphold truth as its
highest moral compass. In fact, we cannot build a democracy without it. The
only path forward is a collective decision to eradicate sources of lies and
misinformation and to hold those in power accountable when they do not adhere
to this highest calling.
