I’ve seen many posts and tweets today where people are calling for “unity” in the USA.
Let me just say this:  there can be no unity until we have accountability.

One of my friends noted:  “I can’t be unified with people who want me dead.”

Another friend called for us to use our collective imagination, to imagine a time when we can come together again.

I’m a big fan of imagination
AND
We also have to look at the whole picture:  the possibility for joy or for disaster.
Because it’s also a failure of the imagination to not imagine (and prepare for) how much worse this attack on our Democracy could have been.  We saw it coming.  They announced it.  Why were we not prepared?

Be prepared NOW.
In the coming weeks, be very careful of those who insist they didn’t know any better
or that they really want to work toward “unity”, when they just violated the rule of law.

The US cannot make deals or bargains with terrorists.  There is no negotiating possible.
The same is true for women in abusive relationships.  It’s the same script.
“I thought maybe if I gave him what he said he wanted, then maybe he would settle down.  But then he tried to kill me in front of the kids.”

Harsh reality check this week, folks.
We must stand for the rule of law and demand accountability and justice.

When those who sought to overthrow our government are behind bars,
and the seditious leaders who incited them to riot are also brought to justice,
THEN will be the time to talk about unity.

You can’t have unity with people who are trying to kill you or silence you.
It simply isn’t possible.

In the meantime, we are in the midst of a global pandemic.

The first stage of healing is to recognize the problem, and then to pull people out of harms way. After that, treat for shock and injuries.

We don’t get to sing together in a big circle until all of this is behind us.

Be safe, everyone.

(And go check out Failure of Imagination on Wikipedia)