I wasn’t exactly sure if I was going to post today – it feels strange to just post as normal, and I didn’t want to just ignore what’s going on in the world. So I decided to do just a short post today, a little bit different from my typical Friday Favorites post.

I don’t shy away from sharing my opinions here, even if they’re political – I shared about why I was voting for President-Elect Biden (in this post) and have touched on other “controversial” topics, too. So I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t just skipping over what’s been going on this week, because I do want to be clear on where I stand.

I don’t think this is even a political post, per se – I think that the breach at the Capitol goes beyond liberal vs. conservative, and I don’t think it’s about being open to the views of “the other side.” The assault on the Capitol was wrong, it was terrifying, but not shocking given everything that has been going on in recent months.

I’m not a history expert by any means, but I do realize that attacking the Capitol, and our government, goes beyond just a protest. It’s a culmination of the (unfounded, and false) rhetoric about a “stolen” election – a real attempt to “stop the steal,” played out in a horrifying way that put the lives of so many in danger. And then, of course, Trump’s response only went to incite further. The assault was illegal and wrong, and it’s surreal to think about living through something that is a moment in history.

In the spirit of my typical Friday Favorites posts, I did want to share one article – this is a first-hand recounting of what it was like for a Washington Post reporter who was in the Senate on Wednesday and was evacuated. I think it gives an accurate (and frightening) depiction of the fear and confusion that was going on.

I don’t know where we go from here, and I certainly don’t have any answers in this post. But I just wanted to make sure my thoughts were known, and my views were clear – it felt like the right thing to do, and like one small way I could do my part.