By: Bridget Kim
“Over the next ten days, we get to see the machines that are crooked, the ballots that are fraudulent, and if we’re wrong, we will be made fools of, but if we’re right, a lot of them will go to jail. So let’s have trial by combat.” Those were the words spoken by Trump’s attorney, Rudy Giuliani. Armed with President Donald Trump’s remarks about fraudulent ballots and a stolen election, thousands of people gathered in Washington D.C. to rally in the U.S. Capitol. But what started as peaceful quickly turned violent as people began storming the Capitol and ensuing destruction. Windows were broken, people were climbing walls and scaffolding, vandalism, and multiple deaths occurred. It was an event that has left this country dumbfounded and questioning what it really means to have a voice in America.
On Wednesday, January 6th, Trump supporters began storming the United States Capitol. The crowd marched down to the Capitol before breaking past barricades and storming the building. Some protested on the steps, but many chose to breach the building. As people began breaking windows with whatever items they could get their hands on, Capitol police began pushing back with pepper spray and smoke grenades. However, many people made it into the building and began storming offices, stealing items from offices, writing threatening messages on items, and causing immense distress for thousands of people. The confederate flag was flown inside the Capitol, something that has never been done before, even during the Civil War. And now, days after this horror, people are beginning to digest just how terrifying this day was.
The last time the U.S. Capitol was breached was in 1814 when British troops set fire to federal buildings in Washington D.C. Now, two hundred and seven years later, history has repeated itself. As the political turmoil has taken a turn for the worst, people are beginning to question the president’s support and how this situation is being handled. While multiple arrests have been made and charges have been rolling out, there is no doubt that the color of the rioters’ skin has affected their punishment. The Black Lives Matter protests made it abundantly clear that the color of one’s skin can and will affect how police and other forms of authority react to the situation. Even though the rioters were acting ferocious, many police officers supported the message they were trying to convey. President Donald Trump voiced support of what happened, resulting in him getting banned from social media sites (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and many others). Vice President Mike Pence ended up deploying the National Guardsman after the violence continued to overwhelm security.
Now, after voicing his support of the rioters, President Donald Trump is facing multiple legal matters. A growing number of both Democrats and Republicans are wanting President Trump out of office and House Democrats plan to introduce an impeachment resolution should the President not resign in the coming days. The 25th amendment allows Members to impeach President Trump, something that a growing number of Americans are hoping for as the Inauguration draws nearer.
But what does it mean to make one’s voice heard? During an interview, a young woman said that they were not storming the Capitol but making their voices heard. Another man, when asked what all it was, said, “We’re losing our freedoms. What do you mean, what’s the point?” However, the way the rioters were making their voices heard and the point they were trying to convey is much different from the peaceful protesters for the Black Lives Matter movements. These people at the Capitol were undoubtedly abusing their freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. This event has left the country in devastating shock, dismembered our core beliefs, and left thousands of people questioning what has happened. What is the line between making one’s voice heard and causing mass violence? And what does it mean to have rights in this country if they are only used for selfish ideals?
Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/07/us/trump-supporters-capitol-riot/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/06/politics/us-capitol-lockdown/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/08/politics/house-democrats-impeachment-plans/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/07/politics/national-guard-troops-deployed-dc-capitol/index.html
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