This is who we are

My dear fellow Americans. This IS who we are. Notwithstanding the statements by some of our leaders, the events of January 6th have revealed our national character for all the world to see. For the last five years we have enabled an unhinged narcissist in his quest for self-indulgence. Close to half of the voting electorate fervently support the outgoing president’s disrespect for information, truth, empathy, and reason. This has been on vivid display over the past year as reality overtook this president’s self-aggrandized fantasy world in which he alone can divine simple answers to complex problems. Congressional leaders supported the president even as he failed to lead the country in the face of a deadly pandemic (“I take no responsibility”). These same leaders helped him perpetuate the fictitious claim that the presidential election was stolen. With no basis in fact, and after dozens of unsupported law suits thrown out of court, duly elected United States congressmen and senators were willing to challenge the outcome of a fair and impartial election, apparently with the immediate aim appeasing the petulance of an infantile madman, but with the ultimate goal of branding themselves for future elections. Their calculation must be that in America, lies and deceit make for strong political standing. The culminating act illustrating a character fervently supported by 70 million Americans was the incitement of terrorism and violence as a means of thwarting the congressional process of Presidential election certification.

If we wish to harbor the notion that the events of the last 4 years constitute an aberration, promoted by a faction of American culture and amplified by a charismatic autocrat, we are self-deluded. The Capital police, with a demonstrated ability to recruit massive force, for example against Black Lives Matter peaceful protesters, did little to prevent a mob of white supremacists from overrunning the Capital Building and threatening the lives of our elected officials. If black or brown people lawfully assemble, no show of force is spared, and yet if a white mob assembles with the pre-advertised intent of insurrection, there was — no response. Although I would like to think that the majority of police on duty at the time were needlessly put in harm’s way and did their best to protect the congressmen and congresswomen, some were seen to be abetting the terrorists. We are a country with two standards of conduit, one for white people, and another for everyone else — enforced by the police. We should all recognize that this is America.