America has, for most of my lifetime, been a beacon of hope in the world, a guiding light to the future. Our country has spawned the most vibrant entrepreneurial economy that the world has ever known.
Like so many of you, I was shocked and sickened to witness yesterday’s breach of the United States Capitol. It was a direct assault on our republic: the right for Americans to participate in their government by electing fellow citizens to high office.
To be clear, our system hasn’t been and isn’t perfect. It was designed to evolve. We’re at a fork in the road, where we can continue to improve our system or we can just throw it away. As a former military officer who swore to protect and defend our freedom and democracy, I know which path we must take and I am determined to do all I can to make sure we take it.
Our country is built on the premise that reasonable people can disagree and that they can voice their disagreement through debate, protest, and their ballot. While it’s certainly the case that people have disagreed with each other more recently, and that the discourse has become markedly less civil, there’s no circumstance in which violent insurrection is ever acceptable.
The fact that these rioters were able to desecrate the halls of our democracy and then, with the exception of a handful, freely walk away makes me sick to my stomach. The lives of countless Black Americans have been lost for profoundly less threatening actions than what we saw perpetrated yesterday. We will never realize our full potential as a country until all people are treated equally.
Our system, however imperfect, is under attack. Perhaps you have believed that for many years, or perhaps it took the events of yesterday to get your attention. Make no mistake, though—our system needs to be given care and love in order to survive.
This care must come from leaders in all walks of life, most importantly our elected leaders, each of whom raised their hand and swore the same oath I did, and each of whom has the power to unify or divide. We can disagree on policies and approaches, but we must be unified in preserving and strengthening the foundation upon which America is built.
Justworks’ mission is to help entrepreneurs and businesses grow with confidence. We will continue to advocate for policies that support small businesses. Just as we remain committed to helping our customers take care of their people, we remain committed to taking care of our people and fostering an environment where they can help each other navigate these unprecedented times together.
The history books will forever describe yesterday as one of the darkest days in American history. It should never have happened, but it did. Today we must take a new path to the future where we make good on the first promise of our nation: That all [people] are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
