What We're Experiencing: The January 6th Insurrection at the Capitol
What We're Experiencing: The January 6th Insurrection at the Capitol
Written by: Elyana Riddick || Date: January 11, 2021
I was sitting on the couch, bumming around as always during my Winter break, watching MSNBC on low volume and simultaneously scrolling on Twitter. It was boring watching the electoral vote counting. Often times I would find myself shutting my eyes. I sensed quick movements in the corner of my eye and turned towards the TV screen. What was supposed to be a day of congressional formalities turned to chaos. Not long after Republican representatives began to challenge the legitimacy of electoral votes did the senate floor become hectic--senators and representatives turned frantic almost falling over their feet trying to escape. The bustled their way through doors and hid behind seats in the gallery. I grabbed the remote and turned up the TV. Reports were coming in that Trump supporters had entered the Chambers of Congress, hungry for revolt.
I admit that it was a very entertaining day on Black Twitter. Memes came out mocking insurrectionists, and I reveled in the comedy of it all because that's exactly what it is--comedy.
It's laughable thinking back on it. Thousands of 2nd amendment raving, QAnon touting, Trump worshipping white people spent their hard-earned money travelling across state lines to commit one of the most heinous of federal crimes in protest of the most secure, legitimate election to ever be conducted in history in support of a falsely claimed "self-made" millionaire. In protest of COVID-19, the majority of the crowd didn't even wear masks, making it easier for the desk job FBI agents to identify them and charge them with federal crimes. American, Back the Blue, and Confederate flags waved silent in the cacophony of yells, screams, flashbangs, and gunshots. By days end, less than one hundred arrests were made, 5 people were confirmed dead (one of which a capitol police officer), and thousands of photos and videos were circulating online and on air. So...what's the punchline?
The comedy comes from comparison. Thinking back at the thousands of protests against police brutality over the summer, thousands of arrests were made, many times unwarranted. Peaceful protestors were met with executive violence--I watched men, women, and children blinded by tear gas, rubber bullets, and flashbangs. They were seen as thugs, rioters, and scum because of their skin. Fighting for righteousness was overshadowed by their physical appearance and no mercy was shown to them. Then that day, watching those people casually walk into what is supposed to be one of the most secure areas in our nation--police escorting them carefully into the Chambers of Congress--I just laughed. It was exactly what I thought was going to happen.
You can't look at what happened January 6th and refute the existence of racism in our country. You can't look at what happened January 6th and refute that privileges exist for even the most disillusioned white people. This is our "great" institution at work--actively working to disenfranchise BIPOC and preserve what these fascist white peole want: totalitarian oligarchy. To be a government of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, it's nothing but irony to have even seen Trump be elected and run again.
Until things change, I'll continue to laugh at this pathetic joke we call democracy.
What are your thoughts on the matter? Let us know in the comments below! We'd love to hear from you!
Comments
Post a Comment