“One country, One destiny” was embroidered into the inner linings of Abraham Lincoln’s jacket on the night he was assassinated; it is also etched on the lapel flag worn by Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi during the reconvening of Congress on the evening of January 6, 2021. After the violence that descended on our nation’s capital yesterday, we draw upon her call to see our country as One. We are a mosaic of people that come together in an experiment called democracy, ever striving towards a more perfect union. It is the greatest social experiment ever conducted where people of all creeds, races, and backgrounds have worked and struggled together to form the best political system of government that history has ever known. We are linked together like the patchwork on a quilt representing all people within our 50 states, each patch unique- taken together much stronger.
Democracy requires discourse and difference of opinion. As a union, we fully support free speech and peaceful protest. We do not, however, condone violence. Yesterday’s protests that turned into mob rule attacked the most democratic of all our government institutions, our Congress.
In a world of uncertainty, the American experience has been one where different groups of people must come together and weather the storm of adversity as one. We are all weathering a “storm of international proportions” with the onset of the pandemic, and now more than ever we need to place our collective “oars” in the water to keep our ship sailing straight ahead into the dawn. Our country was forged on differences and with each step, gets closer to the “mountaintop.” At times like these, we need to remember what makes this country so great. Together we don’t lose our identity, we each bring our own culture’s thoughts and ideas to create a “new mosaic” of freedom. As members of that mosaic, we need to be sure to reach out and embrace our differences with peace and insight, noticing how each of us brings a new color to our masterpiece. In the words of a familiar tune, “There comes a time when we heed a certain call to come together as one”. I hope even in our darkest hour we will continue to sing in unison.
In solidarity,
Carol Gale, Corey Moses, and Stuart Beckford
Officers of the HFT
