January 7, 2021
Dear members of the university community,
Yesterday’s tragic violence and mayhem in our nation’s Capitol is yet another reminder of the fragility of our democracy. As a new day dawns, we must condemn this violence as a means to resolve our differences. Modern democracy is our best option, recognizing that compromise and collaboration are as human and natural as autocracy and authoritarianism.
While there is still much to do to achieve the more perfect union that our founders sought over 200 years ago, we must recognize that our journey requires insistence on rules that enable respect, dignity for every human being, and non-violence.
We can and must harness our human energies to summon our better angels so that we can improve the prospects for this and future generations. Our high moral purpose as a nation is undergirded by agreement on process and the rule of law. Clearly, as we saw yesterday and throughout the past few months, there is still much work left to do as we seek greater equity and social justice.
We cannot and must not settle for the deterioration of those values that embody our essence as human beings seeking better lives for our families and all those around us. Let us recommit this very moment to a better 2021 and a brighter future — cognizant that this will require hard work and constant vigilance. I know at FIU we are up to this.
Sincerely,
Mark B. Rosenberg
President
