"Inconvenient Truths" About Senator Shaheen's Call for "Unity - Granite Grok

“Inconvenient Truths” About Senator Shaheen’s Call for “Unity

Jeanne Shaheen Wicked Witch

Senator Shaheen,

My name is Molly Notkin, and I am a registered undeclared voter in Gilford, NH. You and President Biden say that reconciliation and unity are the necessary goal for all of us to heal and effectively collaborate in rebuilding America as a beacon of opportunity, freedom, justice, and truth.


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I want to point out some current inconvenient truths that interfere with that worthy goal’s reasonable attainment.

In your newsletter today, 1/20/2021, you note,

“Joe Biden ran for office in response to the violence and vitriol we saw on the streets of Charlottesville, and in the aftermath of the horrific insurrection at the Capitol, his determination to heal these divides has never been more urgently needed.”

I, too, condemn the violence that happened in our Nation’s Capital on January 6.  But what about all the “violence and vitriol” that occurred alongside “mostly peaceful protests” throughout the summer?

Violence in Washington D.C., Portland, Seattle, Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia, to name a few, some of which continue in some areas to this day.

Whole neighborhoods and business districts were looted and/or destroyed.  Police departments and local and federal government buildings were vandalized, their personnel attacked by “protesters,” often with deadly force.

Meanwhile, duly elected Democrats, public officials at the local, state, and national levels did not denounce this violence. They instead condoned these actions, stating that this reaction was an appropriate response to the ongoing “racist oppression” in our country.

Many of the businesses destroyed in these riots were the livelihood and/or only available resource for goods and services for these”oppressed people.” Their income and or needs for day-to-day living.

Many of them have been seriously maimed, even killed by these rioters bent on harm and devastation.

A glaring example of this was during the Vice-Presidential Debate, when then-candidate Kamala Harris proudly stated that she marched shoulder-to-shoulder, arm-in-arm, with protestors, and helped pay for the release of those who were arrested, with no condemnation of those who expanded protests into rioting, looting, endangering lives and destroying property.

As to working toward unity, in your newsletter sent 1/8/2021, you stated,

“There are so many issues facing our state, nation and world, which demand good-faith efforts from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to confront these concerns head on. The most pressing of these issues is the COVID-19 crisis, which has taken more than 360,000 American lives and devastated our economy. It is the greatest challenge of our lifetime. Elected leaders must work to heal the bitter partisan divide that has torn our country apart. We can and must see that through.”

Yet at the start of this new legislative year, instead of working primarily toward bipartisan collaboration on addressing these truly urgent matters to the benefit of a battered national constituency, Democrat “elected leaders” in the House focused an inordinate amount of time, effort, and tax-payers money on impeaching (again) a President who would already be leaving office in two weeks. Intending now to spend more time, effort, and tax-payer money to complete the process in the Senate after he was gone.

Dragging that condemnation of President Trump and all his supporters into “the new dawn for America” of the Biden Administration.

This brings me to a final point on your call for unity.  You also noted in the newsletter of 1/8 2021 that,

“This violence was the result of a sustained effort over the last two months by the President to spread lies about the legitimacy of our elections in an attempt to overturn the will of the American people.”

First, based on verified reliable information not reported by mainstream media, President Trump was justified on many of his accusations that voting results in multiple state districts were suspect.

Second, you contribute to dragging out condemnation of the man, who, as the incumbent candidate, received close to one-half of the popular vote.

These ballots were cast by duly registered voters, including Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, and Undeclared/Independent. They are also women, immigrants, Hispanic, African-Americans, LBGTQ, rich, poor, and working middle class. Those U.S. citizens were expressing “their will” at the polls, too.

Third, Democrats and Progressives have taken constant vehement action against this man to remove him from the office as President since the day after his election 4+ years ago. A position he won in an election that they continue to insist thru to the present was “stolen.”

This accusation has been based on information implicating President Trump for Russian collusion to disrupt the election. Information that was publicly exposed in October 2020 by a thoroughly vetted source as being fabricated by the Clinton Campaign during the 2016 election.

In addition, as part of that determined effort, they have demonized, censured, denounced, and encouraged public shunning of President Trump, his family and Administration staff, any and all Trump voters/supporters, Republicans, and individuals or news/social media outlets with common conservative views.

But now, during the transition and start of the Biden Administration, with the denouncement and abuse of all those people and organizations noted above continuing on many fronts across the country, the new President, his Party and specifically you are saying the animosity has to stop with promises of sincere efforts to heal and collaborate.

Your current actions and planned pursuits plainly contradict that promise. Not an auspicious start to “the way forward is together.”

I suggest you and all other Democrats and Progressives in the U.S. apply a more positive approach for constructively pursuing your part in this “Unity” if you genuinely seek a successful reconciliation.

If you care to respond personally to my comments and assertions, please feel free to contact me directly.

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