Under Siege

It’s very hard to put into words what I am feeling right now watching the Capitol building be stormed by protesters. To be an active spectator in the erosion of our democratic institutions is unnerving, unprecedented, and without historical context. I guess the time has come for me to begin looking at other countries’ past dealings with insurrections and coup d’états’ in order to better understand the mechanics of what is happening. Or maybe I should read George Orwell’s “1984” more closely for clues on how to manage a dystopian future. My oldest daughter wants to discuss what she is witnessing on television, and I find it difficult to express myself verbally although my two hands wave in the air like a puppet on marionette strings trying to visually express my internal conflict. I have known for years that the supporting pillars of American democracy have been cracking under the weight of this current presidency, but never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined the violence spilling into our most sacred site. What is even more concerning is the speed by which it took place. From my vantage point on the couch watching multiple media outlets on TV, Trump was leading an Orwellian rally at the same moment the Electoral College was being confirmed by the House and Senate inside the Capitol building and within a short period of time the Trump attendees rioted. Law enforcement (Capitol police and Federal agents) were overwhelmed by the severity and maliciousness of the crowd at which point they capitulated and allowed these persons to take the buildings by force. While this was occurring in real time, I began receiving text messages from my brothers and father commenting on the events. It was interesting to hear them express concern and offer support, yet there was one text that gnawed at the back of my brain; “This is what will happen to cause socialism to come in.” I won’t divulge who said this, but it spoke to an underlying fear that the older generation has towards our current government entities. Right wing social media has altered many persons perception of truth and fostered a mistrust in our political systems. Left wing media sources are not innocent either due to their own implicit and explicit bias’. Yet here we are. The Washington D.C. National Guard has been activated to quell the chaos, a city-wide Washington D.C. curfew was instituted, our Capitol building has been trashed, and we are left to individually and collectively ponder an uncertain future. The issues we thought happened only in “other” countries have arrived on our doorstep challenging all of our preconceived notions about America, our position in the world has been forever altered, and we are forced to comprehend the fallibility and fragility of our democratic structures. Honestly, I’m shaken to my core. Without a stable government functioning within the boundaries of a living breathing Constitution, the question arises: Who are we as a people?