The attack on our democracy that took place on January 6, 2021, was the inevitable result of the political poison that has been brewing for years in our political life.

When Donald Trump returned early to Washington, D.C., from Florida on New Year’s Eve, we now know that he was returning to stoke a seditious coup, and in multiple ways. As we analyze the outrageous acts of the past few days, let us not lose sight of the fact that Sarasota and Florida politicians have been among his enablers for years. We have witnessed growing political meanness, irrationality, and thuggish behavior by many Republicans aligned with Trump.

This is not about politics as normal; it is about corruption of everything that America stands for, leading from the threatening, potentially criminal telephone call to Georgia elected officials on January 2nd to the January 6th attack on our U.S. Capitol and our Democracy.

We denounce Sarasota County Commissioner Christian Ziegler and Republican sycophant Martin Hyde for participating in the rally-turned-insurrection on January 6th. What were you doing there if not supporting an authoritarian takeover attempt?

We denounce Joe Gruters, Florida State Senator and head of the state Republican party, and U.S. Congressman Greg Steube for abetting radical right-wing extremism and inundating voters with false information for years. Representative Steube also voted to object against the Electoral College Vote confirming Joe Biden as President.

We denounce Rep. Vern Buchanan for ignoring and toadying to the outrages of radical right-wing Republican chicanery, while distracting voters with feel-good messages about the wonder of animals and other side issues.

We denounce Gov. Ron DeSantis and U. S. Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio for their sycophancy and their disinformation campaigns that have literally put Floridians’ lives at risk. Let us not forget that Rick Scott was one of 7 U.S. Senators who voted to overturn Presidential election results in Pennsylvania.

We also support the calls for Trump’s immediate resignation or removal from office. He has shown himself to be a national security risk to our nation, and we cannot afford his continued leadership of our country for even the remaining days in his term.

We are calling on all voters to examine information in thoughtful, critical ways and to refuse to be manipulated by self-serving politicians on the radical right. We are calling on everyone to return reason, logic and compassion to the political process, for the best interests of ALL Americans.