The tragic events of the last two weeks in Washington have been heartbreaking to watch. Having worked as a congressional staff assistant back in 1972, I know first-hand the majesty and symbolism of the U.S. Capitol.
It’s not hyperbole when I say I felt sick to my stomach watching legions of rioters storm the same hallways I used to walk decades ago. So, my question now is where do we go from here?
Certainly it’s not where sports writer Jason Whitlock wants. In a recent article republished in the Blaze, he compared the Jan. 6 insurgents to college students conducting an old fashioned panty raid. He supported his theory by saying the rioters were “unarmed and mostly peaceful” and that they only “shoved furniture out of place and shattered a window or two.”
As far as I am concerned, you don’t have to be George Washington or Abraham Lincoln to know nothing Mr. Whitlock wrote could be further from the truth. And speaking of truth, how many people today still think America is the land of freedom because we are a nation of laws?
If you believe your ears, some Capitol Hill rioters were overheard saying, “Hang Mike Pence.” I don’t care if you are a card-carrying conservative or a bleeding-heart liberal, this latest news should shock you to your core. Political differences are one thing, but criminal behavior in the light of day is another.
When I asked former Rep. Harley Rouda where he believes the country is headed he replied, “I can’t tell you how devastating it is to see the Capitol and surrounding areas in complete lockdown with National Guard everywhere; to walk through Statuary Hall and recall the vivid images of lawless rioters overrunning our cherished symbol of democracy; and, knowing we are closer to the beginning than the end of this continued assault on the truth. To say I am worried is an understatement.”
Indeed. During Donald Trump’s term in office, core American principles such as your vote counts and the peaceful transfer of power were under assault like never before. It’s these very cornerstones of democracy we should be talking about, Mr. Whitlock, not a silly panty raid.
-DF