Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera’s thoughts as he watched Wednesday’s riot at the U.S. Capitol turned to his homeland, Spain in 1981, when an attempted coup created chaos in that country.
“We felt sad, scared, furious, and embarrassed. The experience also taught us how fragile democracy is, and how every generation must work hard to preserve it,” Cabrera wrote Thursday morning on Georgia Tech’s website. “I never imagined I would witness something remotely similar in the U.S., a nation I have always admired for the strength of its republic and its culture of democracy — and which I now proudly call my own. Yet, as painful as yesterday’s events were, I know American democracy will emerge stronger.”
Several leaders of Georgia’s largest public and private colleges and universities weighed in on the disturbing and deadly scene in Washington, D.C. Some strongly condemned the rioters while others focused their remarks on the need to work peacefully toward maintaining democracy.
“The violence today at the U.S. Capitol is antithetical to our democracy with its history of peaceful transfer of power based on the vote of the people,” tweeted Emory University President Greg Fenves. “The ideals of this great nation — freedom, justice, and liberty — come from our Constitution but are made real by each one of us.”
Clark Atlanta University’s Office of Religious Life held a Zoom meeting for “corporate prayer for the peace, democracy, freedom and resilience of our nation.”
University of Georgia President Jere Morehead said in a statement the nation’s principles were reaffirmed Thursday morning, an apparent reference to Congress’ actions certifying the presidential election results, which were delayed for several hours due to the violence and demonstrations.
“As an institution of higher learning, it is our duty to educate our students on the importance of preserving these fundamental tenets of a democratic society,” Morehead said. “Together, at the University of Georgia, we will continue our work to help build a more perfect union.”
While Morehead’s statement had a few hundred likes, some people tweeted that Morehead’s comments were tepid.
“If anyone needs a seminar on how to say a whole lot of nothing they need look no further than Jere Morehead’s office,” wrote Taylor Bussey, whose Twitter profile says she’s a law school student at the university.
Meanwhile, an assistant football coach at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga was fired Thursday after posting a racist tweet directed at Stacey Abrams.
Georgia State University President Mark Becker wrote on the university’s website about how education is central “in keeping our form of shared governance strong.”
Spelman College President Mary Schmidt Campbell referenced the role of graduates, such as Stacey Abrams, in changing the nation’s political landscape with their get out the vote efforts and “the opposite of democracy” that was on display at the Capitol.
“During these dark times, let us remember that we have shown each other that we are bright ‘beacons of heavenly light’, making choices that will profoundly change the world,” Campbell wrote on the college’s website.
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