The Mailroom: Day of reckoning

In December, Virginia Business kindly published my letter calling for bipartisan cooperation to seek solutions to key issues facing the commonwealth — COVID, preparing our future workforce, universal broadband and providing better public safety services.

I also said business leaders must demand that those seeking political office in 2021 should articulate how they will rise above partisan differences.

In light of the acts of politically motivated domestic terrorism and sedition that occurred at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, I am expanding my call for business leaders to demand that all persons seeking public office in Virginia answer the questions, “What did you do to denounce the events of Jan. 6 and what will you do to defend our democracy against future acts of domestic terrorism and sedition even if perpetrated by persons in your own party?”

The events of Jan. 6 clearly demonstrate that the day of reckoning is upon us. It is time for business leaders to demand that our political leaders proactively defend our democracy and fight for social justice and equality as set forth in the principles articulated in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America, both of which found their roots in the commonwealth of Virginia. It is one thing for us to disagree on matters of policy, but there is no room for disagreement in enforcing the tenets of democracy. 

James W. Dyke Jr.

Former Virginia Secretary of Education

Tysons

To submit a letter to the editor, please send your email of no more than 250 words to Richard Foster at [email protected]. Letters chosen for publication may be edited for clarity, word count and grammar.

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