NEW YORK, (January 14, 2021) – Shelley Tanner, SanovaWorks CEO/President
On January 6, 2021, the unthinkable happened. Our Democracy was attacked at our House, the Capitol Building in Washington, DC. We condemn those actions and those who instigated them in the strongest possible way. Last week’s unacceptable and inexcusable violence at the Capitol shows clearly that the lies and conspiracy theories of a fraudulent 2020 presidential election, perpetuated by elected officials, is not only a reprehensible effort to subvert our Democracy but is dangerous in so many other ways. Our country is weeping.
After witnessing the violence and speaking individually to staff, friends, and colleagues I sent the below message to our company. I remain committed to my Team and the values and morals that our company and this country are built on. We will get through this, and we will be stronger for it.
Hi Everyone,
It is hard to know what to say but I do know that “this” is not okay. What happened in the Capitol yesterday is not okay. It was an act of insurrection and terrorism to our Democracy that has given me a lot to reflect upon and process.
We witnessed a very different show of resistance when you juxtapose it with the protests earlier this year.
“No one can tell me that if it had been a group of Black Lives Matter protestors yesterday that they wouldn’t have been treated very differently than the mob that stormed the Capitol.” President-Elect Joe Biden on Twitter this afternoon.
The double standard is not okay. We should not forget about this as we move forward. We must stay committed to action to ensure this is not the case. Period.
That said, yesterday was a bad day for America. It was a bad day for us all. It was a bad day for many things. And while the raid on our Capitol, on our Democracy, was not okay – I want you all to know that it is 100% okay to not be okay. If you need the time and space to cope with yesterday’s events, please let me or your manager know – and we will, of course, make accommodations for you. If you need specific support, please also let us know.
While I am disheartened, after taking a breath, I remain hopeful for a better, more perfect nation. We are resilient. We are strong. And we are better than this. I believe it. Let’s prove it.
Shelley