ANN ARBOR, MI — With President Donald Trump still refusing to accept the 2020 election results and concede to president-elect Joe Biden, Ann Arbor leaders are accusing him of undermining American democracy.
City Council went on record condemning the president Monday night, Nov. 16, unanimously approving a resolution denouncing efforts to delay or obstruct a peaceful transfer of power.
As Trump makes unsubstantiated claims of massive voter fraud, undermining faith in the nation’s elections, Ann Arbor officials say they feel a duty to speak out.
“We live in an infuriating time, a time when our politics is broken and our systems are breaking, and it’s not by accident, it’s by intent,” Mayor Christopher Taylor said.
“It’s infuriating that this is where we are, that this is the sort of resolution that a city council of 120,000 people feels a need to pass, and we as a country have a lot of repair to do.”
Biden’s victory over Trump cause for enthusiastic celebration in Ann Arbor
The nation needs to recognize that democracy is real, when people vote it matters, and truth is important, Taylor said.
Ann Arbor stands with the leaders of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, South Korea, the United Kingdom and others in recognizing Biden as the president-elect and Kamala Harris as the vice president-elect, the resolution states.
“This resolution is a response to the number of days that have passed without our soon-to-be-former president conceding defeat,” said Council Member Elizabeth Nelson, D-4th Ward, primary sponsor of the resolution.
“It is a response to the many incendiary and frankly dangerous public remarks that have been made questioning the results of our elections,” she said.
City Council tries not to weigh in on national issues, but this impacts everyone at the local level, council members said, noting until Monday there was a lawsuit seeking to invalidate Washtenaw County’s election results.
“This is really about all of us who participate in our democracy,” Nelson said.
Washtenaw County vote results showing big win for Biden now officially certified
Everyone has the right to vote, and when they do, it counts for something, Nelson said.
“Our whole system is threatened when our leaders refuse to accept the results of an election or when they make excuses for why those results should not matter,” she said.
In the two weeks since the election, Nelson said she probably has been most upset by the voices she is not hearing.
“I believe that every elected leader in this country, no matter what office they hold, should feel an obligation and responsibility to speak out about the significance and validity of the November elections,” she said.
“I am still waiting for many of the loudest voices — leaders at the national level — to speak out in defense of our democracy, no matter what side they are on,” she said.
“Those of us at this virtual table may have a relatively small voice, but we have skin in the game. Everyone who believes in our democracy has skin in the game.”
It shouldn’t be controversial to state the results of democratic elections should determine leaders, she said.
“This is absolutely an issue that has been causing quite a bit of stress in our community,” Council Member Travis Radina, D-3rd Ward, said of Trump’s refusal to concede.
“It’s incredibly disheartening and, I think, frankly dangerous to see the president of the United States not only refusing to accept the outcome of a free and fair election, but actively seeking to undermine it,” he said.
“That is not what we do in the United States of America ... and I think it’s incredibly important that we add our voice to this conversation and acknowledge president-elect Joe Biden and vice-president elect Kamala Harris.”
The fact that the transition process is not taking place is negatively impacting the nation’s safety in terms of both the COVID-19 pandemic and national security, argued Council Member Kathy Griswold, D-2nd Ward.
“I hope that this can be a model resolution and we can encourage other communities to adopt it if need be if we don’t have the transition in place in the next few days,” she said.
It is plain and obvious Biden is the president-elect and all Americans need to say it, Taylor said.
MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS:
Maps show how Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County voted in 2020 election
Higher turnout benefited Biden, but Trump still gained votes across Washtenaw County
Ann Arbor closing city hall, indoor recreation facilities amid surge in COVID-19 cases
Man accused of trying to run over Ann Arbor police officers who were performing welfare check
Local Eats: Angelo’s still serves homemade bread after 60-plus years in Ann Arbor
"accept" - Google News
November 17, 2020 at 09:39PM
https://ift.tt/35E5j1l
Ann Arbor officials call Trump ‘dangerous,’ condemn his refusal to accept election results - mlive.com
"accept" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2YsXkRf
https://ift.tt/3d2Wjnc
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Ann Arbor officials call Trump ‘dangerous,’ condemn his refusal to accept election results - mlive.com"
Post a Comment