I was at Oyster Shell Park with Lola when it started. I heard the news on the drive home. Then I watched CNN for several hours. Watching rampaging terrorists invade the Capitol was horrific and surreal. These so-called patriots smashed windows, vandalized offices, and stole at least one laptop from Senator Jeff Merkley. Here are some images. Luckily they didn't destroy any artwork in the Rotunda. Pipe bombs and a suspicious vehicle were also found in the southeast corner of the Capitol.
Equally horrific was the response of the Capitol police. I wish I could say it was just incompetence--gross incompetence based on all of Trump's tweets inviting supporters to march to the Capitol to pressure Republicans to reject election results of Biden's win. As far back as December 19th, a tweet ended: "Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild."
It was worse than that. It's reported that police officers opened doors and gates for the rioters and posed for selfies with them. Obviously they did not treat this threat as they did potential Black Lives Matter protests.
In 1963 after the assassination of President John Kennedy, Malcom X famously said it was a a case of "chickens coming home to roost." Wednesday's riot with its ensuing injuries and deaths is another case of chickens coming home to roost. Even before Trump, Republicans have used fear mongering, racism, and hate as a key part of its message. Trump just inflamed and incited the mob to violence.
This cannot stand.
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