Trump - What can I say?

This morning, the day after January 6, 2021, a day that will become one of the most infamous in U.S.A. history, I am speechless. I watched the media for approximately 8 hours from afternoon through the evening as the pictures of rioting and insurrection unfolded. Rioting and anarchy have not been on display this graphically in the U.S.A. or anywhere else in the world for many years. As many commentators have said, if this were to happen in another country or if Black and Brown people in the U.S.A. rioted like this, there would be quick condemnation and perhaps intervention by U.S.A. police or military forces. But it was us!

There are now less than two weeks left of four agonizing years with Donald Trump as the President of the United States. Questions are being asked about invoking the 25th amendment, which was put in place to replace a President when she/he is no longer competent to serve. Resignations are being announced of White House staffers although these attempts to save reputation come far too late. The evidence has been clear for far too long and enablers and, yes, good citizens, have continued to think it couldn't get any worse. Well it did when Donald Trump continued to deny his lost election and when he called on loyal supporters to march down Pennsylvania Avenue to protest at the capital. Preparations for such a possible dangerous outbreak were inadequate and the evidence suggests that reasons for the inadequacy include Trump's resistance to defensive actions and the fact that the rioters were white and primarily male.

The questions for leadership educators are broad and deep - how could this happen in one of the world's most developed countries? How has citizenship, leadership, and followership failed us? Many will blame Trump and his enablers but there is an entire system of education and higher education that should have prepared the U.S.A. from the rise of despotism and autocracy. Yes, there are crazy people out there who can break loose and do awful things. But this is the President of the United States and over 70 million of its citizens voted to return Trump to office for four more years. The people who supported and stand beside Trump are scary but they came from families, came through our educational system, and live in communities that should be self-monitoring and self-correcting.

Yesterday, January 6, 2021, was the Day of Epiphany in the Christian calendar and it is clear that it is a day of epiphany for Americans. Leadership and followership failed and this has to be fixed.