January 6th will go down in infamy as one of the greatest disasters in the history of the United States. With 14 days left in office, President Trump endorsed supporters of his to gather in Washington DC, the day Congress would certify the election votes. The striking events to come were not foreseen to the degree at which they played out. An angry, violent mob of the president’s supporters, insurrectionists, breached the security of the Capitol Building, not even a 30 minute drive from South Lakes High School. 

The storming of one of the most important buildings in the nation, by domestic terrorists with morbid intent, was a symptom of far right wing radicalization. With government office buildings shut down across the District, white supremacists marched the streets, willing to break into the house and senate floors, at any cost. Now the question is, who is to be held accountable for letting this attempted coup occur? 

The pent up aggression from the past four years of a controversial presidency, and a complete 180 on government control in recent months, has left many supporters of Trump’s feeling angry and left behind. The brutal attack focused on congresspersons, public servants and journalists has been supported by the president, as stated in a speech to the rioters advancing the insurrection. Trump claimed the election had been stolen from him, and for the tens of thousands of his supporters to march over to the legislative heart of the nation. He stated, “If you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.” Consequently, the supporters did just that. 

As the evening hours were upon the district, four civilians were dead as a result of the uprising. The police scene starkly contrasted that of the Black Lives Matter protests in June of last year, where force was a prevalent method of crowd control. The demonstrations of racial injustice were met with rubber bullets and mass arrests, whereas January 6th, a mostly white crowd, were met with minimal forceful efforts. Although the Capitol Police were underprepared, residents of Washington DC were not. Local businesses were boarded up in anticipation of the violence that was to come. 

The thousands of domestic terrorists who flooded the city with destruction all had one collective intent: To make an outlandish act of treason, gain media coverage and profess their loyalty to Trump after years of him raising tensions. In the aftermath of the attack, the House has officially impeached Trump for a historic second time.

If we, as one America, allow violent mobs with intention to harm roam free, it is as good as permission for it to happen again in the future. So we ask ourselves, as Trump leaves office, what do we want written down in history textbooks? How do we want future generations to see how we reacted to one of the most brutal attacks on the United States Government in modern history?