Statement on the Violent Insurrection to Overturn the Election

On behalf of the Bay Area Council, CEO Jim Wunderman today (Jan. 7) issued the following statement in the wake of the horrific and violent insurrection on Jan. 6 in Washington, D.C., to overturn the results of the 2020 Presidential election:

“The violent insurrection that unfolded yesterday in our nation’s capital, in the very seat of our democracy, was horrific. It was a tragic and profoundly disheartening moment in our nation’s rich history. All the more so that it was incited in large part by an irresponsible and reckless president and top political leaders unwilling to accept the reality of his defeat in the November election.  Just as troubling if not more was the ugly stench of racism that unmistakably permeated the chaos, and the apparent leniency afforded rioters by capitol police and other law enforcement compared with the violent treatment that has marked their recent response to Black Lives Matter protesters and other groups,” said Bay Area Council CEO Jim Wunderman. “It was heartening that despite the attacks our Congressional leaders returned to their duties, proving that our hallowed democracy and the institutions and traditions on which we rely to bind our nation together remain intact, if not badly shaken. There is no justification nor rationalization for the criminal violence that occurred. It was wrong, must be strongly condemned and must not be allowed to happen ever again. And those responsible, at all levels, must be held accountable under the law.  The deep racial and ideological divisions in our country that stoked the uprising remain and demand that we work together in a bipartisan way to resolve them, move away from the perils of dangerous extremism and move forward with greater unity and shared purpose.”