It was just a normal work day as I headed to a 11:00 AM meeting. Half hour later, I check the twitter feed and come to find out the U.S. Capitol building has been taken over by rabid Trump supporters. On the day congress was to certify the 2020 Presidential election for Joe Biden, I was surprised at the utter lack of additional security. How was it this easy to storm the Capitol?
With Trump talking of what a pivotal day January 6th was, egging on supporters to show up in DC and make a stand, you’d think the protection levels around the Capitol would be heighten. I guess not.
Insurrection. Attempted coup. Things I didn’t think I’d ever see in America, but I guess there’s a first time for everything. This is the consequence of the losing side refusing to concede, even against all hard evidence. instead, Trump has fanned the flames of grievance, making false claims of a stolen election. His followers bought into the madness, and yesterday’s events in DC was the natural endgame. At least one person who stormed the Capitol has died. There goes America’s moral high ground on peaceful transitions of power.
Obviously, it was rather difficult to focus on work during the latter half of yesterday. It’s tough to peel away from twitter when such unprecedented calamity is happening right now. My mind was on Washington DC, yet during moments I had to remind myself there’s actually work still to be done. It was a surreal and floating sensation, my concentration split into two halves. The half focused on the news in stunned disbelief.
I have to say there was some satisfying schadenfreude in seeing some Republicans finally confront the horror, reaping the results of what they’ve sown the past four years. A person’s character. matters, especially for someone occupying the highest office in the land. Let’s not make this mistake ever again. Two more weeks until decency returns to the executive branch.