Insurrection

January 07, 2021

Our country has fallen to a new low as anti-government protesters stormed the US capitol building and forced stoppage of the confirmation of Joe Biden as President Elect.  Biden was the winner of the November 3^rd popular vote and was certified by the Electoral College on December 14^th.  The President has not only refused to acknowledge the victory but has mounted both legal challenges and social media rhetoric to overturn the election and reinstate himself back in control of the country.  His latest call has been to encourage supporters to come to the capital to disrupt the normally ceremonial proceedings of congress’s acceptance of the Electoral vote.

After a rousing challenge to take the fight to the Capitol offered by the President, supporters began gathering outside the Capitol grounds.  At 3pm EST protesters stormed the building.  They smashed windows, ransacked offices, and rummaged through the desks on the floor of Congress.  Several protesters removed the American flag from the side of the capitol building and replaced it with a Trump flag.  By 4:00 pm EST one person had been shot inside the building (who later died), several more were taken to the hospital, and at least two improvised bombs had been recovered.  President Elect Biden called on Trump to ask his supports to “stand down, stand, down, stand down.”  The President had so far remained quiet.  When he finally did respond he told his supporters the election had been “stolen,” and ended, “Go home.  We love you, you’re very special.”  They stayed until forced from the Capitol grounds by police, tear gas, and flash grenades.

Almost lost amid the turmoil at Congress was the declaration that control of the Senate had just shifted.  Democrats took control of the U.S. Senate with victories in Georgia’s two runoff elections.  Jon Ossoff (D) defeated David Perdue (R) whose Senate term lapsed Sunday.  Raphael Warnock (D) won his race against Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R).  The results mean Democrats now control both houses of Congress and the Presidency.  While the Senate is officially split 50-50, the deciding vote is held by Vice-President elect Kamala Harris.  Later that evening Vice-President Mike Pence certified the election of Biden and Harris.  The peaceful transition of power has been a landmark of our nation for 244 years.  We can no longer make this claim.

Thoughts:  When the mob stormed the Capitol Building it was only the second time in history the iconic structure had been overrun.  On August 24, 1814, British troops marched into Washington, D.C., and set the Capitol Building and White House ablaze.  The ugly burn scars on the president’s residence resulted in the building being whitewashed, prompting the name, The White House.  The aftermath of yesterday’s mob action was the arrest of 52 people for violating the 6 pm curfew.  They were arrested after 9 pm.  The response seems in stark contrast to the police action against the peaceful BLM protesters earlier this summer.   Do the work.   Change is coming and it starts with you.