Last American Shrug

Rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol, inciting chaos and violence in supposed defense of democracy, only managed to hand Democrats yet another political, if not moral, victory. What they will fail to realize and understand is that they played right into the leftists’ playbook. Democrats and leftists now will lay claim to and advance the idea that they are saviors of the republic, holding back the right-wing mob from destroying it; even more, they will have a mandate to implement an agenda that erodes our Constitutional rights thanks to that circumstance. All at the behest of elitists, casting themselves as our betters, who want us fighting each other so they can further usurp power and exert more control over everyone and everything.

Some will point to, and possibly even prove, that leftists rogues infiltrated and goaded the crowd into rioting. This would not be a new tactic concerning benign protests that erupted into something far worse, as witnessed over the course of last year's rioting throughout the country. It does not matter. Americans, as well as a global audience, watched on national and international media outlets as a supposed peaceful rally of alleged supporters of President Donald Trump indisputably turned into chaos and violence in the nation's capital. Despite attempts to portray the rioters as patriots, this is more Reichstag fire than Lexington and Concord.

This begs the question of how, and why, the Capitol could be breached, especially on a day everyone knew for weeks undoubtedly would be contentious if not volatile. Reports and photos indicate certain local and federal agencies performed their duties admirably and in accordance with protocol to protect civilians and government officials alike from the mob. Yet, why, on this particularly important day of elector vote counting, was the Capitol not locked down tighter than many states during the height of the pandemic? Governors from surrounding states eventually did mobilize their National Guard units, but only after the escalation of events.

Despite the obvious extreme divisions that currently exist, even before Donald Trump ascended to the presidency, the belief is that the United States needed this moment in order to once again move forward truly as a united country. There must also exist the belief, and hope, that out of the ashes it will rise stronger, even if it may take time and considerable effort to reconcile and come together as a whole nation. This is not the first time facing such a dire precipice, and, certainly, it will not be the last. Where all of this leads is left either to those who care to work together to keep a republic, or to those wishing to continue on this extremist path and descend further into the madness.

By providence, may the latter never be allowed to prevail.

©2021 Steve Sagarra