Dan Rather. (photo: Mark Sagliocco/Getty)
25 November 16
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is a time when none of us can afford to remain seated or silent. We
must all stand up to be counted.
History will demand to know which side were you on. This is not a
question of politics or party or even policy. This is a question about
the very fundamentals of our beautiful experiment in a pluralistic
democracy ruled by law.
When I see neo-Nazis raise their hands in terrifying
salute, in public, in our nation's capital, I shudder in horror. When I
see that action mildly rebuked by a boilerplate statement from the
President-elect whom these bigots have praised, the anger in me grows.
And when I see some in a pliant press turn that mild statement into what
they call a denunciation I cannot hold back any longer.
Our Declaration of Independence bequeaths us our
cherished foundational principle: "We hold these truths to be
self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are
Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
These truths may be self-evident but they are not
self-replicating. Each generation has to renew these vows. This nation
was founded as an opposite pole to the capriciousness of an
authoritarian monarch. We set up institutions like a free press and an
independent court system to protect our fragile rights. We have survived
through bloody spasms of a Civil War and a Civil Rights Movement to
extend more of these rights to more of our citizens. But the direction
of our ship of state has not always been one of progress. We interned
Japanese Americans, Red Baited during the McCarthy era, and more. I feel
the rip tide of regression once again swelling under my feet. But I
intend to remain standing.
In normal times of a transition in our presidency
between an incoming and outgoing administration of differing political
parties, there is a certain amount of fretting on one side and gloating
on the other. And the press usually takes a stance that the new
administration at least deserves to have a chance to get started - a
honeymoon period. But these are not normal times. This is not about tax
policy, health care, or education - even though all those and more are
so important. This is about racism, bigotry, intimidation and the
specter of corruption.
But as I stand I do not despair, because I believe the
vast majority of Americans stand with me. To all those in Congress of
both political parties, to all those in the press, to religious and
civic leaders around the country, your voices must be heard. I hope that
the President-elect can learn to rise above this and see the dangers
that are brewing. If he does and speaks forcibly, and with action, we
should be ready to welcome his voice. But of course I am deeply worried
that his selections of advisors and cabinet posts suggests otherwise.
To all of you I say, stay vigilant. The great Martin
Luther King, Jr. knew that even as a minority, there was strength in
numbers in fighting tyranny. Holding hands and marching forward, raising
your voice above the din of complacency, can move mountains. And in
this case, I believe there is a vast majority who wants to see this
nation continue in tolerance and freedom. But it will require speaking.
Engage in your civic government. Flood newsrooms or TV networks with
your calls if you feel they are slipping into the normalization of
extremism. Donate your time and money to causes that will fight to
protect our liberties.
We are a great nation. We have survived deep
challenges in our past. We can and will do so again. But we cannot be
afraid to speak and act to ensure the future we want for our children
and grandchildren.
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