Let me be clear: I do not stand on either side of the political aisle. However, the events that took place in Washington D.C. on Jan. 6 were vile and made me realize the absolute lunacy that surrounds me every day.

Radical Trump supporters violently stormed our Capitol building during the proceedings to confirm President Biden as the 46th President of the United States. The rioters came armed and easily broke through police, and five people died in the siege. 

It was sickening to watch an American man carry the Confederate Flag, a flag that symbolizes the enslavement of black men and women. 

It was painful to see a man carrying zip-ties—prepared to take members of our Congress hostage.

It was chilling to listen to the crowd chanting “hang Mike Pence”, while constructing a makeshift gallows outside the Capitol. 

The feeling that overcame me when I witnessed white police officers taking selfies with these savages was indescribable. In 2016, 84 percent of police officers voted for former-President Donald Trump. Since then, I am sure this number has only grown due to the recent calls to “defund the police” and the Black Lives Matter protests. 

It frightens me that I now question whether or not our own law enforcement could turn on us for the protection of one man who continued to lie about the results of a fair election.

It doesn’t matter what false reality you may or may not live in, former-President Trump is the cause of this stain on our democracy. You can deny it. You can say he never specifically told these people to storm the Capitol, but the fact is he told these people to “be wild” and incited the storm on The Capitol.

For four years, he has divided the country and brainwashed nearly 75 million people into believing every word that he says. It was reported by The Washington Post that he made over 20,000 false or misleading statements in his last 14 months in office alone.

Is  really what people want? 

If we let corruption continue, then events such as this insurrection will become normal. Our foothold as a progressing nation will be lost and violence will become our new tactic when addressing disagreements.        

The riots at the Capitol should act as a reminder the destruction our own human nature and ignorance can cause. 

We must all take a long look in the mirror and ask ourselves what kind of world we want to live in.