Unity.
This single word has become the de facto slogan of the Republican Party following the treasonous acts committed by hundreds at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
But let’s not mince words: what these “patriots” did in their violent storm of Capitol Hill was not a protest in defense of the democratic process, but domestic terror inspired by the words of a would-be demagogue and enabled by those who parroted his rhetoric.
These “patriots” and lawmakers claiming to uphold democratic ideals have decided that the laws do not apply to them. The party of “law and order” has shown their hypocrisy: they only care about the rule of law when it benefits them.
There is no coming back from a violent insurrection in the heart of the nation’s capitol, where intentions ranged from altering the outcome of a free and fair election to assassinating the vice president for his own alleged sedition in maintaining the democratic process.
Rather than acknowledging and condemning the countless seditious acts committed by members of a crowd that brandished Nazi and Confederate imagery, members of the Republican Party have chosen to skate around the issue entirely.
“Threats from adversaries such as Russia, China, and Iran are increasing,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said, redirecting the national conversation away from the alt-right attack. “United we can deliver the peace, strength, and prosperity our country needs. Divided, we will fail.”
In the wake of the first attack on the U.S. Capitol since the War of 1812, Republican lawmakers have used calls for “unity” to try and distract from the heinous acts they encouraged by following the outgoing president in his “Stop the Steal” campaign. 
Unity is a noble sentiment, but when insurrectionists who spewed antisemitic and racist speech — including waving the Confederate flag in the heart of Washington D.C. — are enabled by members of “Lincoln’s Party,” it’s hard to realign with these traitors and their sponsors. 
For GOP officials, calling for “unity” is less about healing and more about avoiding consequences.
While some Republicans condemned the domestic terrorists and voted to impeach Donald Trump a second time, others have ironically used these calls for “unity” to escape responsibility for their party’s own culpability in fostering this hostility.
Trump’s contingent of supporters has decried efforts to remove the president from office — and from social media — as an attempt to further divide our country, citing platitudes about censorship and cancel culture. 
“Democrats are going to impeach the president for a second time one week, one week before he leaves office. Why?” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) said prior to the impeachment. “Why? Politics and the fact that they want to cancel the president.”
Trump being “cancelled” is not the left’s way of suppressing the democratic process. No, the Democratic Party simply recognized the danger Trump still poses and his responsibility in inciting the insurrection at the Capitol. 
It’s the 147 Republicans (including five of Louisiana’s six U.S. representatives) who declared intent to vote against certifying the election results that are to blame for jeopardizing American democracy.
They don’t get to walk away from that. They don’t get to claim that this country is better than that and disavow all those who participated in the riots. 
Those claiming to want unity only seek forgiveness for the fact that they followed and fueled a failed dictator in his attempt to undermine the American system. Sure, they may not have been present at the riots or even called for violence the same way Rudy Giuliani did in his infamous “trial by combat” statement, but they made excuse after excuse for Trump’s actions leading up to Jan. 6.
The coup that cemented Trump’s legacy as one of failure and faux patriotism cannot be forgotten by the “unity” preached by Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Kevin McCarthy. 
They can claim that that wasn’t who they were — that the future is bright and full of cooperation — but the Republican Party will always have to live with their failed deal with the devil.
Domenic Purdy is a 19-year-old journalism sophomore from Prairieville.