The unravelling of democracy brings profound philosophical questions. Are there some differences that can’t be resolved at the ballot box? How can citizens be de-radicalised? What crimes are unforgiveable, and what should a country in search of unity let slide?
This last question has been rattling around my brain ever since Stephen Ayres, who pleaded guilty last month to disorderly conduct in connection with the assault on the United States Capitol, stopped on his way out of the January 6 hearing to offer hugs and apologies to four of the police officers injured during the attack.
Did the cops forgive him? Officer Harry Dunn, who tried to engage the rioters in a discussion but instead received a stream of racial epithets, did not. As Dunn made clear on Twitter and in post-hearing TV interviews, while he “acknowledged” the apology, accepting it would take some time. “Good for him for apologising. But … he owed an apology to the entire world, to the entire American democracy, to the American people … and he needs to be held accountable.”
Former officer Michael Fanone agreed. “It doesn’t do shit for me.” But Aquilino Gonell, who’d only recently learned his multiple injuries meant he had to retire from the force, said he accepted the sentiment from Ayres, though it didn’t amount to much. “He still has to answer for what he did legally. And to his God,” the former sergeant added.
Only Daniel Hodges accepted the apology. “You have to believe that there are people out there who can change.”
Who is right? In fact, Ayres has pleaded guilty and accepted the consequences for his crimes. As for apologising to American democracy and the American people, if telling the truth and expressing regret for his conduct in a commission hearing watched by millions of Americans doesn’t qualify, I’m not sure what does.
But the facts don’t matter when what’s at issue are relationships. Though it’s rarely recognised as such, the January 6 process is serving as a truth and reconciliation process for what’s become the Disunited States of America — or rather the Southern States seceding from the Union (an option that gained popularity after the Capitol attack) or the country descending into civil war as some of the paramilitary groups leading the assault hoped to instigate. Thus one of the committee’s many aims is to reconcile US citizens with each other enough for them to face the future together.
To succeed, it must achieve two things. Firstly, those who advocated or sought to resolve their differences with violence must lay down their arms and publicly recommit themselves to the most basic tenet of democracy: disagreements must be resolved at the ballot box. In other words, absolutely no violence is allowed.
Secondly — and in a direct rebuke to those like Rupert Murdoch and Vladimir Putin who have purposefully stirred chaos by spreading misinformation and undermining experts — the facts about the 2020 election must be established and accepted by all those who believed the lies and acted on them. Just like Stephen Ayres did, the duped must recognise and admit the error of their ways.
That’s just for starters, as the varied responses to Ayres’ impromptu apology demonstrate. Because what’s needed for some people, as with all national reconciliation processes, is time. Time for injuries to heal and memories to fade. Time to see if the actions of those who betrayed the country’s shared ideals, and their fellow citizens, matches their words. Time for those who got hurt the worst to build enough trust that they are willing to drop their grudges and let their guard down enough to agree to move forward again.
And I wonder when that Truth and Reconciliation process begins in which all those around the world who’ve had their own democracies trashed and their governments violently overthrown by American gvernments will have their day?
Including our’s except for the violently bit. Rot in hell Fraser and Anthony
Kerr & Barwick asked the brass to stand by for riots and street control but the NCOs told them that it was a nonstarter – the troops would have none of it.
Especially the conscripts of the last couple of years and the hardnuts who’d only recently been brought back from Vietnam by…someone.
I hope Leslie you are reading this but I have said it once and I will say it again. Americans are s###. They are just buffoons, filled with an inflated sense of entitlement and taught from a young age to express themselves, to focus on themselves as individuals. Can any of them think logically or ague Socratically. How many of them can read, particularly in the Southern or mid-western States?
What used to be the pride of the world, something I always regarded them as such, I have to say they are at the level of a 3rd World country .
Let’s face it, the Union is the worst of all possible worlds. They still at State level impose localised fascism on their citizens or their most vulnerable citizens while at Federal level they impose fascism of another kind on the rest of the world.
WTF Crikey! I just posted a comment which was on topic, contained no obscene language, not even vaguely threatening. You seriously need to get your software people to update your bots, because this is ridiculous.
Re: awaiting for approval.
23 hours and my original comment is still ‘Awaiting for approval’. Bizarre!
46 hours, still ‘Awaiting for approval’, and counting…
The bots have done that numerous times to my posts – it seems they can’t cope with the most innocuous anglo-saxon deprecations, so when I see the stupid, grammatically incorrect ‘Awaiting for approval’ I just paste and copy and change the offending word.
To the people if any, who run the bots, the ‘for’ in ‘‘Awaiting for approval’ is redundant. One may be awaiting approval or waiting for approval, not ‘‘Awaiting for approval’.
Sheesh, the level of illiteracy in our media these days is about on a par with their overall comprehension levels !
“Are there some differences that can’t be resolved at the ballot box?”
Let me stop you there. Most differences if not all differences cannot be resolved at the ballot box. Mine for starter, never are. Stupid candidates. No forceful climate change action. No real wage rises. No adequate teacher staffing of state schools. No reasonable public transport. Poor planning laws. Increasing traffic congestion. How much more do you want. The policies of all our State and Federal Governments have exacerbated these problems. Where is your head at? In the face of global and overwhelming economic challenge and changes, resolution at the ballot box is impossible.
Leslie, I am no fan of Murdoch or Putin. But why do we have to bring Putin into everything when there are far more atrocities performed by our allies with our support. We continue to ignore the proven schoolyard bully because he is our mate.
From Wiki
American exceptionalism is the concept that the United States is inherently different from other nations. Its proponents argue that the values, political system, and historical development of the U.S. are unique in human history, often with the implication that the country is both destined and entitled to play a distinct and positive role on the world stage.
Ie I’m bigger and better than you.
American Charles Atlas advertising was he “responded” in kind.
Is there a subliminal message here?
The uberlib West Wing was a 7 year encomium & paean to that constantly claimed Exceptionalism, Manifest Destiny & being the One Essential Nation as if these were ‘good things’.
When supposed progressives like Sorkin are so besotted with such B/S the chances of an outbreak of good sense amongst the rest are slim indeed.