To the Maryville community,

We all witnessed the despicable and anti-democratic insurrection at the Capitol yesterday. This was a truly dark day for American democracy. As educators, we are passionately committed to the civil exchange of ideas, to the respect of diversity that freedom demands, to the vital importance of the peaceful transfer of power, to our Constitution and the Bill of Rights and to the tireless and uncompromising pursuit of the facts and the truth.

Regardless of political philosophy, we must all condemn this assault on our republic. We call on the members of the Maryville community to stand for and embrace ALL of the vital responsibilities that a democratic society demands of us: the rule of law, civility, mutual respect, the right of the people to freely choose their representatives and the profound commitment to dialogue and compromise. In standing for these bedrock principles, we profoundly reject the lies, disinformation and demagoguery that fueled the domestic terrorism we witnessed yesterday.

The history of America is an endless journey to expand freedom and equality in order to build a more perfect union. Yesterday, we took a step backward. Today and every day, let us move forward to build that more perfect union.

Mark Lombardi, PhD
President of Maryville University