America is known for its greatness, it’s economic might and military might are looked at in awe by our enemies and allies but in that same vein we are also known for our great shortcomings and on that fateful day three weeks ago our worst shortcomings was on full display, hatred and mistrust, a beast that has festered in America long before most of us were born. 

These men and women stormed the Capitol on the day that the results of the 2020 Presidential election were to be certified to overturn the results of the Presidential election, something that is not constitutionally possible but was told it was by the soon to be former President and his most stringent supporters. These domestic terrorists were in DC attending a rally by the President where he continued his baseless lies that the election was stolen from him and that they would have to take their country with “strength” further enticing his rabid base. What followed is perhaps the greatest national tragedy since September 11, 2001. While 9/11 united the nation, we came together in a time of great fear yet great unity to take down the people that did this; there was no such unity here, in fact this attack showed our deepest divisions and our darkest sins.

Some say that this didn’t have to be the case but in truth; we were doomed for this  

   The Republican party establishment were as shocked as anyone else, not only did they have the wherewithal to storm the Capitol of the US (something that’s still nuts to me the more I think about it) but they did so while chanting “kill Mike Pence,” they killed a Police Officer with the intention to kill more, these people were out for blood, all to try to overturn an election that their dear leader falsely told them was rigged.

The GOP shouldn’t have been shocked however, for they created this beast  

The Republican Party has been festering white anger for decades, “Us vs Them” was started by the GOP, the slow radicalization against anything progressive was started by conserative media and embolled by GOP politicians. The GOP has been going down this road for decades, From the nomination of Barry Goldwater and his base of angry segregationist, to Nixon and the implantation of the southern strategy, to the GOP incorporating “law in order” and “tough on crime” rhetoric (infamous dog whistles used to target POC and social justice movements) to the rise of Reagan and white evangelicalism, to the rise of Gingrich in the Clinton era and the “us vs. them” mentality to the rise of Fox News and other right wing media, to the Tea Party waved influenced by white anxiety in rural areas, to Donald Trump and Qanon and anti Social Justice and multicultural sentiment. The fate of the Republican Party is so Shakespearean that I thought Shakespere himself wrote it. This attack was not something avoidable and shocking but was yet a natural conclusion to a tragic story of how Conservatism played with the racist anger of white america and created the beast of fascism, a beast that seems to have swallowed them whole. 

As Biden takes office and embarks on his first 100 days the question bears to be asked, will the beast that swallowed the GOP swallow the nation with it? Or can Biden truly patch the country together. In truth, I have no idea, all we can do is pray for the latter and fight the former; but I leave you with this, this rabid base of white nationalism and right wing populism fueled by a hatred of multiculturalism and a disdain for social justice is now leaderless but also radicalized and emboldened; so as we look to the Biden administration with a sigh of relief we must remember that yes, spring may be upon us, but winter may be coming too.