God help us

[ermingarden]

I'm watching CNN online at 4:30 AM because an armed insurrection took over the U.S. Capitol.

I have to say that again, because it's so hard to get my head around. An armed insurrection took over the U.S. Capitol. Four people died. Pipe bombs were planted at the headquarters of the RNC and DNC. And Trump incited that insurrection, continued to encourage that mob throughout the afternoon, and refused to send in the National Guard to contain the violence (fortunately, it wasn't his call). And 147 members of Congress, including the majority of Republican members of the House - who this afternoon were hiding from the mob, in fear for their lives - went on to perpetuate the very lie that prompted this act of bona fide domestic terrorism. The Capitol was taken by enemies of the United States for the first time since 1812. This shouldn't be surprising - and isn't, given Republican rhetoric in the past four years - yet I still find myself shocked.

And as many, many people have already observed: Peaceful Black protesters this summer were met with force more severe than police response to white domestic terrorists today. If today's mob had been made up of Black folks, or really anyone other than white people, it would have been a massacre.

I don't know what the next steps are. White House staff are apparently discussing removing Trump from office per the 25th Amendment (§ 4). Frankly, with only 13 days left before the inauguration, this isn't really feasible - the same is true of impeachment - but I suppose it's a good sign that it's being discussed at all. There's also talk about mass resignations - better late than never, but I suspect it's motivated more by a desire to save future political careers than by anything else. I'm certain about one thing, though: Those who participated in this insurrection, in seizing the Capitol, must be prosecuted. These are federal felonies. We cannot afford to sweep this under the rug or there will be no moving forward, and this will become our new normal.

We have to make this better. I don't know what I can do, but I know I must do something. The immortal words of Charles Schurz come to mind: "My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right." And God knows we need so desperately to set ourselves right.