A Joint Statement From Friends of the Columbia Gorge and Columbia Riverkeeper on a Peaceful Transfer of Power

Contacts:

Burt Edwards | Communications Director, Friends of the Columbia Gorge | burt@gorgefriends.org
Liz Terhaar | Communications Director, Columbia Riverkeeper | liz@columbiariverkeeper.org

Yesterday, insurrectionists stormed the United States Capitol building, injuring congressional police officers, and terrorizing members of Congress to prevent lawmakers from certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election. This cannot be tolerated.

As organizations that work to actively educate and engage the public in protecting the land, water, and natural systems of the Columbia River and Columbia Gorge we condemn this violence; we condemn acts of intimidation aimed to undermine a peaceful transition of power; and we condemn the irresponsible speech by President Trump and others who seek to use their voices on social media and in other venues to divide our nation and foment yesterday's acts of insurrection and domestic terror.

Shortly before his death, the late Congressman John Lewis in a final appeal to the American people stressed that all Americans have a role to play as responsible citizens in maintaining a healthy democracy for our nation:

When you see something that is not right, you must say something. You must do something. Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part to help build what we called the Beloved Community, a nation and world society at peace with itself

The people have voted, courts have considered objections raised, and the Electoral College has met with the results affirmed by Congress. As a nation of laws, all Americans must respect the results of the 2020 presidential election, recognize Joe Biden as the president-elect of the United States, and commit to a peaceful transition of power. We owe future generations of Americans nothing less.