editorial

We witnessed Americans perform acts of insurrection, and we condemn them

Posted

Until today The JOLT has successfully kept our pledge to focus exclusively on local issues. We cover news, events and people in Tumwater, Lacey, Olympia and nearby areas of Thurston County.

It would be heartless and lazy to pretend on this day that it’s not necessary to address national issues here occasionally.

Today we witnessed American citizens perform acts of insurrection against the federal government by breaking into the Capitol building, terrorizing elected officials and their staff, making threats to disrupt the orderly business of the government, refusing to leave the building and grounds, destroying government documents and property.

If all this wasn’t enough, one woman lost her life. Another, also shot lies wounded in a hospital.

Locally, right here in Olympia at our Capitol Campus, other Americans professing the same beliefs as the insurrectionists in DC, are protesting right this minute.

All this because those who traveled to DC believe lies from a delusional and selfish President that the election results are wrong. (To be accurate, the local protesters are angry because their preferred candidate for the Governorship, presumably seeking to ride the President’s coattails, is similarly lying about the Washington-state processes that yielded statewide results.)

There. I said it. 

Lies. Delusional. Selfish.

Nonpartisan

Did you know that The JOLT is officially a “nonpartisan” publisher? 

That means we endeavor to publish news that’s not slanted by bias, to cover political candidates fairly, to present multiple perspectives about challenging issues. And to “Support the open and civil exchange of views, even views [we] find repugnant” (this tidy phrasing from the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics, to which we aim to adhere).

Non-partisan doesn’t mean we float in space, unconnected to any principles or rules.  Here’s what we believe, in part:  

Above all else we believe in the rule of law.

We believe that democracy implores us to publish news about what’s going on around here.

We believe in the First Amendment – for both you and me.

The First Amendment, which covers Freedom of Speech, doesn’t cover all types of speech. For example, we can’t yell “Fire!” in a movie theatre. Apparently, you can tell lies, in political settings.

We believe in checking facts and publishing the truth.

And the truth is – and has been scrutinized and validated by more than 50 judges, the US Attorney General, the the former director of the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and dozens of state elections officials of both parties – the truth is that the 2020 elections were fair and reported accurately. 

And we applaud the words of US Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican, who today said to his colleagues, “Do we weigh our own political fortunes more heavily than we weigh the strength of our Republic, the strength of our democracy, and the cause of freedom? What is the weight of personal acclaim compared to the weight of conscience?”

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  • Hoosier

    By definition, "insurrection" is not limited to the U.S. Capitol. Where was your editorial when other Federal buildings were attacked, vandalized, and occupied last year?

    Thursday, January 7, 2021 Report this