Statement on January 6, 2021 Events in Nation's Capitol
January 7, 2021
Dear Loyolans,
Like so many of you, I watched and listened to the dramatic, disturbing, and inexcusable events that took place in our nation’s Capitol yesterday.
As someone who personally had the privilege to take and uphold the oath of office to protect and defend the constitution of the United States earlier in my career, experiencing this direct threat to our democracy has been deeply jarring and emotional.
Our democracy and nation may be far from perfect. However, violence is unacceptable and must be condemned as a path to follow.
As individual citizens and as a country, we must remain committed to inclusivity, justice, and opportunity. We must find ways to listen to others; use our critical thinking skills and judgment to discern fact from rumor; speak out when we face injustices or hear falsehoods; commit to civil and productive debate and discourse; and carefully weigh our words and actions, recognizing the potential power and consequences of each.
In the days ahead, we will all be processing and reflecting on what we are seeing, hearing, and feeling in this critical moment. Let this introspection reaffirm our diligence and commitment to the noble democratic ideals to which our nation must aspire.
Please join me in keeping each other and our nation in prayer so that we may learn, grow, and unite together as a country.
Sincerely,
Jo Ann Rooney, JD, LLM, EdD
President
January 7, 2021
Dear Loyolans,
Like so many of you, I watched and listened to the dramatic, disturbing, and inexcusable events that took place in our nation’s Capitol yesterday.
As someone who personally had the privilege to take and uphold the oath of office to protect and defend the constitution of the United States earlier in my career, experiencing this direct threat to our democracy has been deeply jarring and emotional.
Our democracy and nation may be far from perfect. However, violence is unacceptable and must be condemned as a path to follow.
As individual citizens and as a country, we must remain committed to inclusivity, justice, and opportunity. We must find ways to listen to others; use our critical thinking skills and judgment to discern fact from rumor; speak out when we face injustices or hear falsehoods; commit to civil and productive debate and discourse; and carefully weigh our words and actions, recognizing the potential power and consequences of each.
In the days ahead, we will all be processing and reflecting on what we are seeing, hearing, and feeling in this critical moment. Let this introspection reaffirm our diligence and commitment to the noble democratic ideals to which our nation must aspire.
Please join me in keeping each other and our nation in prayer so that we may learn, grow, and unite together as a country.
Sincerely,
Jo Ann Rooney, JD, LLM, EdD
President