East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc and two of his colleagues on the town board have condemned the Jan. 6 insurrection at the United States Capitol, during which supporters of President Trump broke into and ransacked the building, temporarily halting a joint session of Congress that was in the process of certifying the electoral victory of President-elect Joseph Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
"These despicable and shameful acts are a direct attack on our democracy and we must all repudiate them regardless of political party affiliation," Mr. Van Scoyoc said at the start of the board's meeting last Thursday. "It is the obligation and duty of every citizen to adhere to the rule of law and to respect the rights of others."
"The situation that we face is about one man who took part in a democratic process, a national election, and doesn't want to admit something that we all know: that he lost," said Councilman Jeff Bragman, referring to the president, who shortly before the insurrection urged followers to "walk down to the Capitol" and told them that "you will never take back our country with weakness."
Mr. Trump is a bully, Mr. Bragman said. "When we allow bullies to run things, we learn the hard way that they don't care when people aren't heard, and they don't care when people get hurt. And when they're in charge, bullies don't serve the people, they serve themselves." Denouncing the "criminal invasion and attack" on Congress, he contrasted the president with Democracy as an idea and inspiration. "Justice and fair play, fragile though they can appear, are real," he said. "They are our best hope for protection against bullies and they best enable us to make people's lives better."
"I denounce the abhorrent behavior of the insurrectionists who breached our nation's capital, fueled by our president," said Councilwoman Kathee Burke-Gonzalez. "Not surprisingly, these events in Washington, D.C., have members of our community, especially our children, upset and scared. While Washington, D.C., is 300 miles away, I know some of our community members are expressing concerns about their own safety and the security of our community. I want those folks to know that I hear you and I share your concern." The town "will do everything in our power to protect our residents from any infringement of their rights or threats to their safety," she said.
Mr. Van Scoyoc asked that the community "maintain the same sort of civility that we have, to this time. . . . Unfortunately, all too often in Washington lately our national government has been extremely divided." He suggested that everyone read the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. "Sit back at your leisure and read those documents, because they are absolutely inspiring and ring so true right to this very day."
The country's schools should also re-emphasize civics education, the supervisor said, "so that our young citizens are being trained as to what the proper recourse for their grievances is, and that we have a legal process to do that. It doesn't have to result in violence."
Bald eagles have been frequenting the Town Hall campus, he noted. "These majestic birds, once threatened with extinction, are no longer listed on the endangered species list. Right now, we need to pay close attention to our endangered democracy and work to live up to our declared name, the United States of America."
