Commentary: Media disrespected democracy, too
Robert R. Barton, For the Express-News
Jan. 16, 2021
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Having respect for the U.S. democracy does not require believing that the system is perfectYuri Gripas /ABACA /TNS
Failing to respect the system threatens our democracy. Since the presidential election on Nov. 3, there have been three events that have demonstrated a lack of respect for our system:
The storming of the Capitol by protesters on Jan. 6 was an anarchic and lawless act that resulted from a failure to respect the system. The president and the protesters decided that objections to the Electoral College vote should be sustained and the vote of the Electoral College should not be certified because they believed that allegations of fraudulent and unlawful voting practices were true. Ignoring the system created by the Electoral Count Act of 1887 that authorizes Congress to make that decision, the protesters attempted to disrupt the process and usurp the function vested by law in Congress.