Statement of President Karson and the Law, Youth & Citizenship Committee Regarding the Events of January 6, 2021

Statement of President Karson and the Law, Youth & Citizenship Committee Regarding the Events of January 6, 2021

1.12.2021

By Brandon Vogel

January 6, 2021 will live in United States history as a dark day. A violent mob, stoked by refusal to accept the results of a certified election, attempted to impede the lawful processes of government by storming and desecrating the hallowed halls of Congress. This assault on democracy failed. The work of our legislative leaders continued into the wee hours until the electoral process was completed and the rule of law restored.

NYSBA issued a statement condemning the siege of the US Capitol and pledging our fight to restore faith in our system of government and Constitution.

We, the members of the Committee on Law, Youth and Citizenship of NYSBA wish to add our voices in condemnation of the recent threats to the rule of law, and to offer an antidote. The answer is robust public civics education which instills the knowledge and values of our democratic republic to guard against the disrespect and wanton violence we have just witnessed. Our students must be educated also to apply critical thinking to what they hear and see, especially on social media. They must be taught media literacy, to learn to discern fact from fiction. They must learn to debate with civility, not violence.

We pledge to redouble our efforts to promote these education ideals in our state. We urge our lawmakers to provide the resources necessary to help our young people be-come citizens who actively participate in government and who respect the rule of law.

President Scott M. Karson

Committee on Law, Youth and Citizenship (LYC)
Gail Ehrlich, Chair
Jay Worona, Vice Chair