My thoughts are with the immigrants

By Alex P. Vidal

 

“Immigration is not about visa numbers or building a fence. It is about reclaiming our roots as a nation of immigrants and a refuge for those who have been cast aside.”— Mike Quigley

 

I WAS enormously fixated on the Georgia runoff election on January 5 or 24 hours earlier until initial results came out early morning on January 6, when riot broke out at Washington D.C.’s Capitol Hill at around 2 o’clock in the afternoon while the U.S. Congress was in session for the pro forma certification of President-elect Joseph Biden’s and Vice President Kamala Harris’ Electoral College win in the November 3, 2020 presidential election.

Early morning around 2 o’clock on January 6, I learned that one of the two Democratic senatorial candidates, Rev. Raphael Warnock, upset incumbent Republican reelectionist Senator Kelly Loeffler.

I was waiting, in particular, for the result of the contest between another Democratic bet, Jon Ossoff, and Republican reelectionist Senator David Perdue, which came late in the afternoon on January 6 when the Capitol Hill siege, led by unhinged and violent supporters of President Donald Trump, was already escalating.

Between the Georgia runoff election (January 5) and the certification of the Electoral College votes (January 6), the latter, of course, was the bigger and more important news.

 

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While the two political parties battled for the senate supremacy in the Georgia fisticuffs, the most important “battle” was in the Capitol Hill, where several stubborn Republicans in the House and the Senate had threatened to oppose the certification of Biden’s and Harris’ Electoral College win.

But my focus was still in the Georgia runoff election.

I knew nothing could stop Congress from certifying the Electoral College which traditionally was only ceremonial despite the saber rattling of two ambitious Republican senators Ted Cruz (Texas) and Joshua Hawley (Missouri) and other Trump die-hard Republican congresspeople.

To make the long story short, I personally wanted both Warnock and Ossoff to win in Georgia.

My main interest was in Georgia—until the riot erupted in Washington D.C.

 

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I never hid my preference for the two Democratic challengers as manifested in my previous articles in November and December 2020.

Their victory would translate into domino effects for legislations that will favor the immigrants, especially undocumented Filipinos who aspire to avail of President-elect Biden’s promise of amnesty, among other bills that will help our kababayans and other foreign nationals now wanting to change their immigration status in America through the help of Mr. Biden and the Democrats in the two legislatures.

Thus, I became emotional when I learned the Democrats had swept the George runoff election.

I am pro-immigrant by heart, and I favor more stimulus assistance for all Americans in dire straits due to COVID-19 pandemic, something that the Republicans continue to detest and had pathetically opposed (like the proposed direct payment stimulus check worth US$2,000).

Before Warnock and Ossoff both clinched the twin victory, the Republicans controlled the U.S. Senate (50-48) with top Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell lording over as majority leader.

The victory of Warnock and Ossoff meant the Democrats will now be the new majority (50-50) as Vice President-elect and incoming presiding officer Harris will cast the deciding vote on disputed legislations.

 

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AS of this writing, some world leaders and even prominent politicians who had previously tolerated Mr. Trump’s incredible and unfounded claims of election fraud, have condemned the “terrible act of insurrection” by the mob egged by Mr. Trump to march and storm the Capitol Hill where they created mayhem that resulted in the death of four people.

It was Mr. Trump’s relentless efforts to reverse the results of the 2020 election that took a dangerous turn January 6 afternoon.

The armed and angry mob of his supporters also clashed with police just as Congress convened to validate Mr. Biden’s presidential win.

A woman was fatally shot in the violence that ensued as pro-Trump protestors breached barricades and advanced into the halls of the Capitol building, smashing windows and brawled with police officers in what is widely being considered one of the worst security breaches in US history.

The Capitol Hill in Washington DC was placed under lockdown Wednesday at 6 pm until 6 am after hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the historic building and wreaked havoc in an attempt to stall the certification of the election results.

The raucous group of demonstrators waved ‘Trump 2020’ flags and wore T-shirts and hats with the president’s signature ‘Make America Great Again’ tagline printed.

The rioters entered the second-floor lobby of the building right outside the Senate chamber, the doors of which were being guarded by law enforcement officials.

The mob managed to get past the guards and enter the Senate chamber, where just moments earlier the election results were being certified.

One of the rioters was reportedly seen climbing up on the dais and yelling, “Trump won that election.”

It was America’s shame and scandal that became the outgoing President’s legacy.

 

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)