Reflecting on January 6th, 2021

I follow US politics closely, so I feel an obligation to try and capture a few of my thoughts and feelings about the events of last Wednesday.

I watched the coverage on both CNN and Fox. The contrast in reporting shouldn’t have been surprising to anyone.

• One station had audio of the protest/riot/insurrection playing in the background and video of the Capitol windows being broken playing every few minutes. President Trump’s speech and subsequent tweets were being flashed on the banner.
• The other station’s primary video sans audio was wide angle of the protest in front of the Capitol, or with reporters amongst the protestors moving out in the streets. The banner mentioned his recorded tweet asking people to “go home now.” A video of the Capitol being broken into was shown after watching for 20 or so minutes.

A protest where the sitting US President, his son, and his attorney spoke at: turned violent, destroyed federal property, and resulted in death. That same US President was initially pleased.

As I wrote that, a sense of horror settled over me. But not surprise.

I realized the next day that I wasn’t shocked by the events. The US Capitol being stormed for the first time since the War of 1812 was horrendous, but it was not unimaginable given the track the US has been on for the last six months. President Trump was never going to go quietly into the night.

Now I tap into that boundless American attribute, hope. Hope that we can find unity as individuals, neighbors, and Americans. Hope that our Republican leaders got a wake-up call and take some action out of these events. Hope that our Democratic leaders don’t run off and act without engaging Republicans AND getting their support as that will only widen the divide.

I hope to see something amazing in the next 100 days because it will take a shift from conservative countrywomen and countrymen and patience from their liberal counterparts to find a way to bring us back. Barring an indictment in NY, I believe the best way to prevent a Trump 2024 ticket is to stop it in the primaries, and that starts now.