Contributed by Nan Potts
The American people should be appalled at the event that took place at our Capitol on January 6th. A peaceful demonstration by Trump supporters took a wrong turn. Or, was it highjacked?
I sat watching the “Save America Rally” on the news. Trump, in typical Trump style and candidness, reiterated his and many American voters’ beliefs of voter fraud and manipulation of our 2020 election. There was no hate speech. No whipping the audience into a frenzy. There was the plan to walk to the Capitol steps and have the voices of many disenfranchised voters’ voices heard.
Then, something happened. Something I had not foreseen. The Capitol Police line was overwhelmed (they were unarmed at this time), the Capitol doors yielded to a relatively small group (what the mainstream media is calling a mob) and penetrated our House and Senate Chambers. Capitol Security stepped in. A female veteran was shot and killed. A Capitol Policeman was also shot and later died. Property was damaged and stolen. This event was abhorrent and unparalleled in my lifetime. With that said, this resembles a pattern of protests we’ve seen in big cities over the past months. More information will come forth in the following days.
At the time of the publishing of this article, “We The People” do not fully know what happened. This was a tragedy with questions: Who were the people who assaulted and defiled our Chambers? Who fired the shots? Why weren’t the Capitol Police armed? Mayor Bowser knew there was to be an extremely large rally yet, did she fully secure the Capitol to protect our elected representatives? It appears not.
I have watched many of the Trump rallies from the safety of my television set. People were excited to see and hear our President. The mood has always been cordial, humorous, entertaining and compelling. What I observed and heard on the 6th was nothing more. The people attending were proud to be there and were anxious to be heard.
When Congress reconvened after the Capitol breach, the contested Electors debate continued. I heard many Representatives and Senators scold Trump supporters and call them insurrectionists. This gave me pause. Trump supporters did put on a “Save America Rally”, but this violent behavior was out of the norm. Oklahoma State Representative, Markwayne Mullin, who remained in the House Chambers when gunfire was exchanged stated, “These were people with murder in their eyes . . . These were not typical Trump Supporters.”
Was this an act of insurrection or Peoples’ frustration with our elected officials boiling over? Or, something else? Was this orchestrated? Let us all agree, 2020 has applied extreme pressures on “We The (American) People”. We deserve and should be determined to know exactly what happened.
With that said, the violence and death should not have happened — this is not who patriotic Americans are. The People wish their voices to be heard. Protests regarding the integrity of state and federal elections continued at state capitols around the country. Some peaceful, some not. Who are those who promote the violence?
The following day, January 7th, D.C. saw more unrest. The question is still, by whom or who? I hope we discover the real truth.
Participants who were interviewed during the storming of the Capitol mentioned seeing buses arrive with what they described as outside dissenters. They wore Trump paraphernalia, but donned helmets and backpacks, the typical gear worn by violent protesters who we have watched mar our cities over the summer and fall. News outlets have reported and proven that many of the recent rallies Trump supports had participated in were infiltrated by terrorist groups using violence and causing mayhem, giving these rallies and their participants marred reputations, including our President.
What concerns me? Many of our elected representatives, now taking control of our government, are calling for the punishment of all those who disagree with their ideologies. Censorship on “Social Media” is becoming rampant — this is NOT who true patriotic Americans are!
Political power and population control appears to be in the forefront. If “We The People” step out of alignment, We will be punished. This is no exaggeration. It has been documented. We have seen this transformation over the past several years, using a weaponized Social Media, where employees have lost jobs, business owners have lost businesses and friends have turned against one another. Personal experience has proven repercussions in family relations.
If you’ve ever been to a foreign country, and if you’re savvy, you abide by their ideology and laws, even if you disagree with them. You are a foreigner in their country. After what I’ve witnessed and experienced, I must ask myself, “Am I a foreigner in my own country?” This is a sad situation for any people to be in. Ask those who have flown from tyranny or lived under it.
I remind ALL elected officials and American Citizens, this country has prospered when its leaders put their citizens first, not their personal power agendas. In a letter to the Massachusetts Militia in 1798, John Adams stated, “Our Constitution was made for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” — John Adams, Second President of the United States.
Is our Constitution made for the incoming government?