An Appeal To My Friends Who Have Supported The President

An Appeal To My Friends Who Have Supported The President

I've seen many of you lately post memes and statements that don't support the events of the past few days but don't directly condemn them either. You know, the ones about how both sides are to blame so we should just go fishing, or it doesn't matter who's to blame; just fix it, or trying to compare the protests of the summer with an insurrection and attempted coup. And the many others along these lines.

You are not inherently wrong and it's not that I necessarily disagree with these posts. I see where you're coming from. As my dad would have said, "they're all a bunch of crooks."

But I'm asking you to consider what these posts say because of what they don't say. How they are (perhaps from your perspective, an unintentional) attempt to muddy the waters and excuse the President of his responsibility.

Let us all be very clear.

The President incited a riot of insurrectionists with the intention of, at the very least, disrupting our democratic process.

This is not media-fueled hyperbola.

This is what happened.

Nothing is ever black and white. There are reasons to hold many of our leaders accountable. But pointing out one person's, or party's responsibility shouldn't deflect from the primary cause. These memes do just that. I would argue it's the real intention of those who have created the memes in the first place.

The President's baseless conspiracy theories over recent weeks (his critics would argue, throughout his presidency) are directly the reason that has led us to this point.
We need, at this point in history, to call it what it is.

I know how hard it is to admit something you believed, something you wanted to believe, isn't true. Or isn't right. I know I alone can't convince you. I know shifts in our beliefs happen in steps.

I'm not asking you to change your core beliefs. I'm not asking you to support policies you disagree with. You can continue to believe in, and maintain your support of the President's policies.

I'm only asking you to take a step.

I am asking you to condemn this action, Unequivocally.

To reject the division and conspiracies.

I am asking you to stand with America. To stand together as we always have in times of national crisis.

Stay safe my friends.

Todd Birr