I saw the images of the riots at the Capitol in DC, of trumpist thugs and bullies-call them what they are, terrorists!-stampeding the Capitol building, OUR Capitol building, supposedly the citadel of democracy in this country, and I was sick to my stomach. A herd of animals posing as human, terrorizing elected representatives conducting the people’s business, is NOT democracy.

For WHAT noble cause? A “president” who encourages the worst elements of our nation to show themselves-racists, fascists, religious extremists using their warped idea of “Christianity” as a reason to hate, as a weapon to beat down marginalized people?

What if these maniacs were people of color, or Muslim? Every federal agency that carries a gun would be on top of them. These goons, such as the Proud Boys, have a history of violence and racism, and trump has attracted the most militantly racist elements to his banner, people who have raided state capitols at the start of the COVID crisis. Again, the bias in favor of white and politically conservative people shows itself.

I remember the time republicans were the “law and order” party, the “strong on defense” party, around the time of Richard “I’m not a crook” Nixon. Now they ignore the law and property when it suits their purposes, and they expect to get away with it, and, alas, in the past they have.

Are we supposed to be afraid of them? They know they lost, they know they’re in the minority, but they demand everyone else kowtow to them, to do as THEY say, no matter what the rest of us think. That has been the conservative privilege for so long; they may loe the election, but we should do as they say.

I urge all of us to stand fast and be strong and brave, and to be together for each other as we fight for our rights. Let us never be frightened in to speaking out our beliefs. The trumpist thugs are on the losing side of history, and we’ll make them lose more and more.

America will be free!