American democracy is not a right. It's a fight and we're in the trenches | Norment

It is disconcerting the Supreme Court has overturned Roe vs Wade, and very alarming that gun violence is ripping families and cities apart while the Supreme Court rules in favor of even more guns.

Yet, none of that is as disturbing as the damage done to our country’s core democracy by the former president. Despite undeniable proof that the 2020 election was legitimate, Donald J. Trump continues to push false claims that he won.

And along with that lie are rhetoric and actions that continue to tear this nation apart and threaten the heart of our democracy. Rep. Liz Cheney, the Republican vice chair of the Jan. 6 Committee, said Trump had “gone to war with the rule of law. . . we are confronting a domestic threat that we have never faced before – and that is a former president who is attempting to unravel the foundation of our constitutional republic.”

I never imagined a president would attempt to overturn an election, subvert transfer of presidential power, ask officials to perform illegal acts, ignite an insurrection, conspire to overthrow the government, threaten those who tell the truth, and openly lie and encourage others to support his lies.

These are threats to our Democracy, and they must be put in check.

They are truth according to testimony from witnesses under oath during the Jan. 6 hearings.

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Democracy in this country was never flawless

From the cruelty of slavery, the violence and harsh Jim Crow Laws, racial discrimination over the decades, as well as mistreatment of immigrants. Add to those injustices the attacks on Asian and LGBT communities. During and since the Trump administration, there was a noticeable downgrade of rights and common decency.

Instigating insurrection

Trump not only tried to overturn the election, he's being investigated for instigating an insurrection. On January 6, 2021, former Vice President Mike Pence led the joint session of Congress for certification of the 2020 election. That traditional part of the transfer of power was interrupted by a mob of thousands that attacked the Capitol, brutalized U.S. Capitol Police and ransacked offices and historic public spaces.

All while many chanted “Hang Mike Pence,” a rallying cry that started at a boisterous, weapons-heavy rally led by Trump near the White House. Trump had encouraged attendees to march to the Capitol and promised to join them. In the crowd were weapons, baseball bats, zip-ties, and nooses.

Trump put the lives of the vice president, legislators and their staffs at risk by encouraging the frenzied crowd head towards the Capitol. As the riot commenced, Trump ignored pleas from his staff to speak out against the violence. His chief of staff said Trump “doesn’t want to do anything.”

Jan. 6 Committee chair Rep. Bennie Thompson said at one hearing: “We’re going to show how Donald Trump tapped into the threat of violence, how he summoned the mob to Washington and how, after corruption and political pressure failed to keep Donald Trump in office, violence became the last option."

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Threats to election officials and others

The erosion of citizens’ trust in the election process can be attributed to Trump falsely crying that he won the 2020 election. You would think such lies would be dismissed, but too many people want to believe him regardless of the truth. Too many politicians and businesspeople see what some call “the big lie” as a benefit to their political stance and financial enrichment.

This falsehood resulted in dedicated, honest election workers and public officials being berated by Trump and his supporters. Consider Shaye Moss and Ruby Freeman, the Georgia mother-daughter election workers who were falsely accused of ballot fraud and consequently threatened in person and online.

Members of the Jan. 6 Committee also have been threatened. On right wing social media, there have been calls for Rep. Cheney to be executed, and Rep. Kinzinger has been targeted online and received a letter threatening to execute him and his family. Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson also has been threatened for testifying.

Pushing Justice Department to lie

The manner that Trump threatened people as he tried to persuade them to support his scheme is deplorable. He refused to listen to Attorney General William Barr, who told him the election was fair and honest. That assessment was backed by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security.

Barr and others who chose to disassociate with such dishonesty resigned. Yet Trump continued to cajole people with promises of promotions, support and pardons. (What innocent person would need a pardon?)

Other Justice Department officials, including acting head Jeffrey A. Rosen, refused to send a letter to Georgia indicating that a federal investigation could invalidate the state’s results.

Trump told them “just say that the election was corrupt,” and leave the rest to him “and the Republican congressmen.” Rosen testified that Trump told him, “One thing we know is you, Rosen, aren’t going to do anything to overturn the election.” Trump came very close to appointing a Justice Department low-level attorney to the top post because that person promised to send the letter.

Trump also harassed and cajoled election officials in other states to throw out official election results and pad numbers in his favor. In Arizona the ballots were recounted, with additional votes found for Biden. Trump is recorded by phone and witness accounts attempting other such chicanery so he could remain in office.

These actions by Trump and on behalf of Trump are a black eye to our democracy. The president of Advance Democracy organization said, “It’s clear that the lies and actions taken by Trump, and those lawmakers that support him, continue to pose a serious threat to our democracy and the peaceful transition of power.”

And, as Rep. Kinzinger said, the president cannot and must not use the Justice Department (and his position) to serve his own personal interests, and he must not use its people to do his political bidding. Especially when what he wants them to do is subvert democracy.

Lynn Norment, a columnist for The Commercial Appeal, is a former editor for Ebony Magazine

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Norment: preserving American democracy means fighting back bigotry