Last week was a nightmare. It’s only in my worst dreams that even the idea of someone storming the United States Capitol Building could have happened. Yet, on Jan. 6, supporters from the Trump rally marched to the Capitol Building. The rioters breached the building, destroyed government property, and caused mass terror across Washington DC. These actions were completely unnecessary, utterly immature, and a disgrace to the United States. 

It’s hard to believe that the police and security forces weren’t aware that there was a possibility of violence. The Trump rally was scheduled in advance and the President himself had been advertising the assembly, encouraging people to come and join him. Yet, when the rioters turned their sights toward the Capitol, security forces were unprepared and overwhelmed. They should have been better prepared to defend the members of Congress from any sort of attack. Still, no one thought that anyone would actually storm the building. It’s never happened before, so why should it happen now? That was faulty thinking and I hope that they learn from what happened. 

The Capitol Building is not just a government facility; it’s the building of the people and for the people of the United States. It’s filled with history and is the home of democracy. And yet, America’s own people trampled over that history like it meant nothing. The protestors turned mob destroyed windows, trashed the halls, and carted away historic artifacts. There are images of one man waving to the camera while walking out with the podium. That’s blatant disrespect to everything that America is built upon. It’s an attack on democracy itself. Do these protestors not realize the effects that these actions have on not just themselves and the election, but the world? 

World leaders have already made remarks about the event and America is not being cast in a good light. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson said, “The United States stands for democracy around the world and it is now vital that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power.” I wholeheartedly agree. Other countries agree that if America’s democracy is under attack then the rest of the free world is at risk as well. While I agree with using the rights to assembly and free speech to have your voice heard, this was unacceptable. 

The riots didn’t even help the rioters’ cause. Congress certified Joe Biden as the winner of the election and held another impeachment trial for President Trump. Our legislature is not just going to stop because someone is unhappy about how one election turned out. Could there have been election fraud? Sure. That still doesn’t mean that you have the right to destroy property and endanger lives because you’re upset about it. Five people died because of the attack and that’s five too many. The past election is over and the only thing that we can do now is move forward. 

I love living in a country where I can voice my opinions and make myself heard, so it saddens me when I hear about people abusing their rights to destroy not just objects, but symbols and lives. If they really wanted to promote fairness and democracy, these protestors could have accomplished their goals in a better fashion. 

The attacks on the Capitol Building were immature and unnecessary. As a country, we need to learn and grow from the mistakes of others, especially the atrocities that these rioters caused, and make sure that democracy is preserved. It’s time to heal our country and press onward.