Author: TheConversation

By Samuel Perry, Associate professor, Baylor University Christian imagery loomed large on January 6 as the “Stop the Steal” rally morphed into a violent mob siege. A group of Trump supporters prayed around a large wooden cross, and others carried “Jesus saves” signs and yelled “shout if you love Jesus” as they illegally occupied the Capitol building. Meanwhile the Christian flag – the red, white and blue emblem designed by a New York City Sunday school teacher in 1887 to unite and symbolize Christians worldwide – was one of the flags carried through the Capitol. This blending of Christian...

By Rodney Gabel, Professor and Founding Director, Binghamton University, State University of New York President Joe Biden called for American unity after four years of political divisiveness and the “raging fire” it provoked. He promised to be a president for all Americans. “I will fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did,” he said. It was a message of hope and optimism. And while his intent was clearly to speak to all of America, his speech spoke in a different way to a particular community. The new president stutters, and his speech,...

By Dimitris Xygalatas, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut As one president’s term ends and another begins, there is a ceremony. Its importance is one of symbolism rather than substance. The Constitution is clear: On January 20, there will be a transfer of power. There is no mention of an inauguration. By definition, ritual acts have no direct effect on the world. A ceremonial event is one that symbolically affirms something that happens by other, more direct means. In this case, the election – not the inauguration – makes the president, although an oath is...

By Kathy Roberts Forde, Associate Professor, Journalism Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst; and Kristin Gustafson, Associate Teaching Professor in Media and Communication, University of Washington, Bothell While the attempted coup by Trump fanatics on January 6 was unsuccessful in its goal to topple the government and remove American democracy, the 1898 coup in Wilmington, North Carolina highlights the tragic consequences that could have befallen our nation. These two events, separated by 122 years, share critical features. Each was organized and planned. Each was an effort to steal an election and disfranchise voters. Each was animated by white racist fears....

By Deborah Whitehead, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of Colorado Boulder Mike Pence had remained one of the only constants in the chaotic Trump administration. Variously described as “vanilla,” “steady” and loyal to the point of being “sycophantic,” he is, in the words of one profile, an “everyman’s man with Midwest humility and approachability,” and in another, a “61-year-old, soft-spoken, deeply religious man.” But that humility and loyalty are being tested as his tenure as vice president draws to an end. “I hope Mike Pence comes through for us,” Trump told supporters at a rally on Monday, seemingly...

By Danielle K. Kilgo, John and Elizabeth Bates Cowles Professor of Journalism, Diversity, and Equality, University of Minnesota The chaos at the U.S. Capitol on January 6 was not typical. Nor was the coverage. Footage carried live by cable news and clips and photos shared across social media were jolting. One image showed a man who had broken into the building sitting in a chair, foot on desk, in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office. A video clip showed a crowd chasing a police officer as he retreated up the stairs. As a researcher of media and social movements, I...