The protests in Washington DC were a sad series of events that will go down in American history as one of our nation’s darkest days. People were killed, many more were injured, and sacred institutions were trampled under the foot of extremists who showed the nation how far a conspiracy can take people when left to their own devices. Within all of this tragedy it is hard to see the silver lining, but as small as it might be, some good did come out of the attacks on the Senate. Here are three points you should keep in mind.
1.) Trump supporters are finally changing their minds.
It was hard for many lawmakers who were challenging the election and supporting Trump’s unfounded claims of voter fraud to stay on his side after his extremist army broke into their place of work and forced security to help them escape. Almost all republicans condemned the violence and several changed their stance on the electoral issue. Many also called on Trump to tell supporters to go home and call for peace, which he eventually did. This is a small ray of hope that shows republican hardliners are able to back down and do the right thing when push comes to shove.
2.) Democrats are gaining more support as the right continues to self destruct.
After republicans chose to support Trump and his extremist supporters, the end result was not in their favor. They bet everything on keeping the party together instead of letting it break in half, one side being those who backed Trump, and the other being against him. Had they accepted the split and acted more like Mitt Romney, who spent most of his time reminding America that republican lawmakers can actually be very decent politicians, more of them might have won their state elections and not handed it over to the Democrats. Instead almost all of them chose to vigorously back Trump, and lost because of it. In the end the party ended up splitting anyways, and now they have to pick up the pieces after suffering a defeat in the House, the Senate, and the Presidency.
3.) Trump extremists aren’t getting away with their crimes.
Approximately 52 people have been arrested so far according to NPR. More are expected to come as information continues to develop on those who took part in illegal acts during the capitol insurrection. Many of the reports are troubling and confusing as more than just rioters are found to have committed wrongdoings. The police are being blamed for not providing enough protection in the first place, and some have even been accused of taking selfies with rioters and moving the barricades that let them inside. These claims have yet to be confirmed, but the lack of protection was definitely an issue that is already under investigation. It’s safe to say that all those who are to blame for the attack, regardless of which side they were on, will be held accountable for their crimes in due time.
As we recover as a nation from the attacks that took place on January 6th, 2021, it’s easy to give in to despair and think that the coming year will be as bad as the last one. But we can’t allow depression to take hold on us. We must try to stay hopeful that good news is just around the corner. We just have to take a few more steps, even if they are uphill. President Joe Biden said it best:
Today is a reminder, a painful one, that democracy is fragile. To preserve it requires people of good will, leaders with the courage to stand up, who are devoted not to pursuit of power and personal interest at any cost, but to the common good.
President Joe Biden
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The American Centrist 