I write today with a heavy heart and great sadness in response to the horrific assault on our democracy that played out on Jan. 6. Like you, I watched in disbelief as an angry mob placed our nation’s capital under siege. The events disrupted certification of the electoral vote count for President-elect Joe Biden and resulted in numerous injuries and several deaths.
It was a frightening time for us all and a very troubling day for our nation. In fact, I still feel shaken by the events. In such a moment, I felt it was important to both condemn the actions of those who incited such violent, un-American behaviors and importantly reaffirm the core values of this college and our fervent commitment to civil discourse.
Our strength as a community has always been founded on our ability to support one another, in good times and in bad. Never has this been more apparent then how we have come together as a campus to help one another and our students through the current global pandemic. Now, we must lean on one another once again as we join together to denounce these recent shameful events and move our community and this country forward.
NCC has always and will always be a place that lifts up each member of our community to be the best version of themselves. It’s part of the Northampton Way. In light of yesterday’s events, that work is now more important than ever.
I ask you to please join me in hoping for healing for our nation, and praying for reconciliation for the deeply divisive political discourse that has fractured our country.
Dr. Mark H. Erickson
President
Northampton Community College
