Picking up the pieces

Millions of Americans have spent the past week trying to comprehend the events that unfolded Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol. It’s fair to say many were appalled but not surprised, and we can all hope this reprehensible moment will serve as a reckoning for the extreme politics currently holding this nation hostage.

Call it a failed coup, insurrection or whatever you want – plain and simple, it was an attack on the fundamentals of our democracy. The people who ransacked the Capitol and killed a police officer were not patriots. Their beliefs and values are the antithesis of this country’s core principles, as they very clearly do not respect the democratic process and rule of law. The winners of our elections are determined by the votes of millions of Americans and those citizens cannot be disenfranchised by the actions of one person or vengeful mob.

Despite unfounded claims to the contrary, the election was not stolen. The ballots have been counted and in some states they’ve been recounted several times. Lawsuits were filed, evidence reviewed and claims rejected. The Supreme Court of the United States, which has three justices appointed by the sitting president himself, also weighed in at one point and torpedoed the accusations of fraud. What more do people want? The results of the Nov. 3 election have been scrupulously vetted and repeatedly reaffirmed, and nothing is going to change the fact that some Democrats were elected, some Republicans were elected and the president was not.

Of course, this hasn’t been enough for millions of Americans. Last week’s revolt was the culmination of repeated lies and conspiracy theories that were used to nuke the entire election process from start to finish. Each lie incurred a debt, and the hole got deeper every time those lies were repeated as fact. Our debts finally came due on Jan. 6.

It’s hard to guess where this nation goes from here. Our current win-at-all-cost political mindset only works to vilify those who hold different viewpoints from us, and domestic tensions have been exacerbated by social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter that allow lies, disinformation and conspiracy theories to spread like wildfire. You simply can’t turn that switch off overnight, and it’s going to take the collective will from both elected officials and the electorate to dial back the vitriol.

Last week’s reprehensible siege will go down as one of the darkest days in American history. People bashed in windows to gain entrance to Congress, paraded through the halls with Confederate flags, and some called for the execution of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence, among others. Five people died because of the mayhem. We’ve taken this too far, and the regret expressed in the aftermath by politicians on both sides of the aisle spoke volumes to how bad it’s gotten.

After the rioters were cleared from the Capitol and the dust settled, Congress returned to complete their work by certifying the Electoral College votes. Only then did the president say he would commit to a peaceful transfer of power. That’s quite head-scratching, because his seditious rhetoric played a huge part in the disaster that unfolded last week – even top Republicans like Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy have admitted as much. The president essentially poured gasoline all over everything, lit a match and returned to the smoldering ashes with a glass of water. The transfer of power has already been turned into a warzone and there’s no taking that back.

This country has massive problems right now that extend far beyond the election. Prior to the mayhem at the Capitol, neighborhoods in cities across the country burned this summer during race riots. The relentless onslaught of violence and upheaval must be reigned in, and it’s hard to know where to even begin. There’s so much healing that needs to take place in America that bridging the gap seems woefully unachievable. Yet, we have to at least try.

Everyone’s emotions are incredibly raw and there’s not going to be a big kumbaya moment anytime soon. We basically have two political Americas where common ground is more rare than a unicorn and the loudest, most obnoxious voices on both sides are winning. Until we collectively acknowledge how bad things have gotten and bear some mutual responsibility, it will be impossible to move forward. People across all political spectrums can start by agreeing that last week’s events were despicable, un-American and embarrassing.

The world is watching us. What they’ve witnessed over the past decade isn’t something to be proud of.