A shameful day

January 6 will be remembered as a shameful day in American history. As more information and videos come to light, it becomes more and more clear that this was an orchestrated attempt to attack our government by individuals using the purposeful iconography and rhetoric of Donald Trump and the Confederacy to incite violence.

The mistake that folks make is assuming that white supremacy is about shaving your head and tattooing a Nazi symbol on your chest. In reality, white supremacy is upholding those systems (economic, social, educational, judiciary, etc.) which oppress all of us. Those who continue to perpetuate a false narrative about stolen elections don't want free and fair elections -- they want elections that confirm their beliefs. Where's the outrage about real election issues, like long polling lines and gerrymandering?

How many times do claims of "dead grandmothers voting" or "ballots being shredded" need to be debunked before people will be satisfied? It turns out that the answer depends on how long you need to use anger, doubt and paranoia as fuel for your political aspirations.

With one confident fist bump, (Sen. Josh) Hawley signaled to the whole world who he really represents. There is no such thing as peaceful protest when you are protesting in favor of a system of violence against marginalized communities. That's why I advocate for Sen. Hawley's resignation -- he put his own political aspirations above the safety of our nation, and will continue to do so if we don't dissent now.

ZAC HUNN, Cape Girardeau