Watching the events unfold on January 6th 2020 I was shocked, horrified and saddened. I can honestly say that watching insurrections storm the Capitol Building, was the first time I have cried while watching CNN. I can only assume I was not the only one American to cry watching these events unfold, but it begs the question, what example have our adults and our leaders have set for us? 

Nothing more than treasonous thugs broke into a federal building because an election didn’t go their way. For America’s children, are these adults telling us that when you don’t get your way you should respond with violence? Of course, this attack on the United States did not occur in a vacuum. There is no coincidence that the Capitol Building was breached at the same moment as the people we elected to represent us continued to pedal false, and as they had been warned, dangerous conspiracy theories to justify overturning the will of the people. Much like the storming of the capitol, their efforts are doomed to fail, but the question of the message America’s so called “Adults” are sending persists. 

The entire situation follows a president who failed to concede defeat in an election HE LOST, fair and square. Of course, rather than admit defeat he has chosen to perpetuate lies designed to divide the American people, and stoke unfounded outrage and anger among his supporters. 

Likewise rather than discourage his supporters from inciting violence on 1/6, he spoke at a rally shortly before they stormed the Capitol. The president could only be bothered to release a video statement regarding the insurrection after President-Elect Biden spoke to the nation and demanded him to do so. When he finally did get around to releasing his video, he told his supporters to “go home” while also promoting the same falsehoods about the election that brought us to this very situation.  

The entire crisis reminds me of something I was taught by Ms. Torres in the Panda Bear Room in Preschool. In response to toddlers fighting over what color smiley face sticker they wanted, she stated, “You get what you get, and you don’t throw a fit.” It is INCREDIBLY unfortunate that our supposed leaders cannot exemplify the same restraint as our nation’s four-year-olds.