January 6th, 2021, a day that will go down in history.
I expected there to be Pro-Trump protests. I expected there to be violence and, at worst, shootings. But, domestic terrorists planting pipe bombs? Rioting at the Capitol, halting the certification progress? A woman shot by police dies, plus four others dead after the violence. Our country is disgraced.
No, I wasn’t expecting this. But I shouldn’t be surprised, and neither should others.
The signs were all there. We were approaching a climax of violence centered around insurrection and a desired coup by the dictator wannabe Donald Trump.
Even before we began voting in 2020, Trump said if he lost, the election was rigged. He set the stage for this violence, brought this disgrace, and the politicians who stood with him and continue to are not American Patriots. They are accomplices in an attempt to destroy our democracy and our country.
I’m not surprised this is where we are. I figured Trump would continue to throw a fit and incite even more violence. Especially after the events in Charlottesville, when he made it clear what side he stands on.
His strongest weapon: dangerous rhetoric hidden in plainspeech. He used his weapon on Wednesday at his rally when he told his cult of followers to go to the Capitol. Then, as they overwhelmed Captiol police, who were questionably few in numbers, he waited and waited to call for peace.
When he did, he tells these terrorists, these rioters “I love you.” When last year his tweets threatened prison sentences for BLM protesters he called “thugs”.
Is it not clear where he stands?
Check out this article for break down on How a Pro-Trump Mob Stormed the U.S. Capitol
I seriously question the motives behind the Capitol police. The Chief has already resigned. But I’ll say this; if Trump had won the 2020 election, and BLM protesters were at a rally nearby and then began to walk to the Capitol to protest there, the National Guard would have been deployed ASAP, there would have been swat, there would have been a wall of police in riot gear to meet them. The stark difference in response AND response time shows what most of us already know: there is a double standard and white supremacy reigns in this country. Check out this article comparing the police response.
That disgraceful day is cemented into the history of the U.S., and I will never forget it.
Now in the final countdown to January 20th, I am hoping no one else will die. I am hoping for a peaceful transition of power. I hope that Trump, the domestic terrorist/rioters, and his allies will be prosecuted for their crimes against this nation.
A call for the 25th, Impeachment? It’s a little late for that. Trump should have been removed from office permanently within the first year of his term.
Revisiting The Past
Four years ago, I found myself dazed and unable to grasp the fact that Donald Trump was going to be President.
Looking back, I combed through my blog to see if I had written about that year, and I did. I forgot about this blog post until the summer of 2020, and today I want to include a few excerpts (below) in my response. Reading my words now, my heart breaks. It’s almost over, but the journey we had to take to get here was a bloody one.
The night the election results came in, I was working, people started crying in the restaurant. An angry couple stormed out, the man said, “We are so fucked.” His words have echoed in my head since then over and over again.
The excerpts below are dated December 19th, 2017.
“The results of the election last year were devastating. Not only had Trump won but suddenly the surreal feeling of living in a twilight zone-like reality began. Watching Trump’s inaugural speech on January 20th on TV, the strange and gloomy streets as he paraded in Washington D.C. Suddenly, it felt like something had dramatically changed. I couldn’t exactly put my finger on it but now I think I’ve realized what it was that I felt. This was the beginning of a new time, a new block of time that would have to be sectioned off, highlighted, and analytically picked apart day by day in the future. It has been termed an Era: The Era of Trump. I think this term is correct because now it is apparent 2017 is the start of another chapter in U.S. history.”
“There is little room to breathe when his ego is threatened when his words are analyzed and questioned when his behavior is criticized as being inappropriate and extremely insensitive. But the division between pro and anti-Trump supporters is creating unsafe spaces full of animosity and possibly dangerous eruptions.”
“Charlottesville was a turning point. The protest turned violent and deadly, the POTUS fumbled and went back and forth on his own response to the events. The ‘Unite the Right’ rally featured white supremacists, who try to camouflage their hate and identity with terms such as ‘white nationalist’, protesting the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue. Counter protestors were present and violence quickly ensued. Finally, counter-protestor Heather D. Heyer was killed when a white nationalist plowed his car into the crowd…
“Trump’s response was inappropriate and strange. I think his words will be highlighted and remembered forever as he said there was blame “…on many sides.” This did not make sense, it still doesn’t. Suddenly people who do not believe in hate, racism, and bigotry were equated with white supremacists? Both parties were somehow guilty? This is when I think America finally began to understand where the POTUS stood in terms of hate, racism, and bigotry if they hadn’t already clued in with his behavior before the presidency. It was so apparent when his quick on the draw tweets and responses were delayed…possibly for once a response was being thought over by Trump himself before coming out of his mouth.”
“I have been conducting research since then on white supremacist groups. My findings are horrifying and I am now more aware than ever that America may have to again fight against racism (a never-ending fight) on a publically large-scale level similar to that of the civil rights movements of the 1960’s. (Oftentimes I found that white supremacist groups say they are not racists but just have certain beliefs regarding who should be a recognized citizen, including who should have rights, which for them means only specific people of white European-descent. Their definition of what an ‘American’ is, rests solely on their beliefs of race)…”
Excerpts from my blog post, “Personal Response: Surviving 2017 in the Trump Era“
It didn’t take long for this new era to take hold. The shock of dealing with blasphemous tweets, misinformation, and straight out lies.
A little boy, a bully, who turned the cabinet into a revolving door. Who spouted rhetoric reinforcing the structural racism that continues to rot this country out from the inside.
This man, this crook, spent four years dividing the country, mastering manipulation and putting to question facts, truth, and justice, spinning his followers a new reality where they could choose to believe facts if they wanted to.
Now we suffer the consequences of anti-maskers in a pandemic. People are purposely putting the lives of others in danger. And over 350,000 Americans are DEAD.
What happens now?
We are in year two of the Pandemic. Thousands of Americans are dying every day from COVID-19. The country is in turmoil, divided, and sick from the Era of Trump.
Can Biden and Harris bring justice and order to the chaos? Can they help the nation unite and defeat COVID? Can they help us heal the festering wounds Trump has made.
I hope so.
I’ll end this with one last quote because now more than ever I still believe:
“…If having Trump as POTUS is what it takes for the U.S. to wake up and realize we need to address specific issues that have continued to be swept under the rug or falsely believed to be ‘solved’ then so be it. This is the time for change to happen. This is not a time to be silent and pretend that something isn’t already happening in our country. The political turmoil, the continual protests on “both sides”, the issue of sexual harassment, these events are crucial in understanding that right now is not the time to stick our heads in the sand. We must be vocal and supportive and uphold the rights that we have worked so long and so hard to gain as Americans. If a diverse society cannot be, or cannot function, if a belief in rights and equality for all people in this country is not possible then our country would be exactly the same as it was in previous centuries. If it is not possible then why did change happen in the past?”
Excerpts from my blog post, “Personal Response: Surviving 2017 in the Trump Era“
If you are reading this, Thank You. Thank you for taking time out of your day to read my words. Stay safe out there.
Best,
Alina