Great Egret. Photo: Claudio Contreras Koob
January 12, 2021 - WASHINGTON - A statement from David Yarnold, president and CEO of the National Audubon Society.
“The risk of allowing President Trump to remain in office is too great for our country to bear. He has said he will not participate in the peaceful transition of power and we’ve seen the deadly consequences.
“As an internationally recognized American institution for the last 115 years, the National Audubon Society has a responsibility to stand up for bedrock democratic principles and repudiate efforts to undermine them.
“As the full scope of the systemic failure to defend the democratic process from a mob of insurrectionist white supremacists comes to light, mere condemnation will no longer suffice. Donald Trump must be removed from office. Immediately.
“From advocating for clean air and water, to supporting renewable energy, to protecting habitats that both wildlife and people need to survive, we work every day to create a brighter, cleaner future for both birds and people – but we can’t do that without the rule of law which Donald Trump has actively worked to dismantle. The president’s actions, and those of his enablers, have only served to undermine the principles they took an oath to uphold.
“We must also call out the contrast between the response of Capitol Police to rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol to law enforcement’s violent and militant response last summer to Black and brown people peacefully protesting for equal treatment under the law. That is institutionalized racism and it must be dismantled.
“We have previously called for those who committed crimes at the Capitol to be held to account, and this extends to elected officials – all the way to the president himself."
About Audubon
The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Audubon works throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. State programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners give Audubon an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. A nonprofit conservation organization since 1905, Audubon believes in a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Learn more at www.audubon.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety.
Source: Audubon
