I've grown a little weary of hearing "This is not who we are." I understand the pull to believe that, and I respect the intention of people who say it, especially if you or someone you love has toiled or even died to make this country free and fair for all ...

... But "this is not who we are" has always felt like a little bit of a dodge to me, like a refusal to acknowledge the darker parts of our history and present. Last night I saw former Defense Secretary William Cohen on @CNN talking about Wednesday's insurrection ...

... and I really liked the way he approached this notion. I went back today to look up the clip and wrote down his words.

“People say this is not who we are, but it is a good part of who we are and who we have been...

"...These are the same people that used to be the Night Riders & I know this from my wife’s experience of having to fall to the floor and put out lanterns when the Night Riders came up on the porch of her uncle with their horses..."

"...These are the same people who were the Jim Crows. These are the same people who were segregationists. These are the same people who are white supremacists. So this has been a part of our history..."

"....So when we say it’s not who we are, it’s a PART of who we are, and who we have been and what we hope we won’t be going forward. But this is an indigenous part of the United States ..."

"...and we have added to the myth that we’re different, we’re exceptional, this is not who we are—these kind of incendiary bomb throwers, arsonists, anarchists..."

"...Yeah. They’ve been with us since the founding of this country.”

What we hope we won’t be going forward. That's the part that needs our focus and our work.