Beginning or End?

 Millions of words are forming sentences about this moment in time.  Formed by minds that occupy every slot on the political spectrum.  Formed right now and throughout the day.  Millions of words from millions of people trying to separate the mythology from the facts, the delusion from reality, the lies from the truth.  

Our Capital attacked, we seek to unpack the events and the mindset of those who would commit insurrection.  Those who did commit insurrection on January 6, 2021.  The President sits in the White House today with the flag flying atop the pole, while all over the iconic buildings and monuments of Washington D.C. the flag flies at half staff.  Perhaps, that says it all.  Who and what has died?

This is what the millions are unbraiding as we ready ourselves for the transfer of power slated to take place in 12 days.  The behavior displayed by Trump's army in seeking to overturn the election results was repugnant on every level.  That those ripping and tearing the fabric of our government were in earnest is clear.  They swallowed some pretty big lies and choked them down.  They regurgitated wrath, their self-righteous ire. They felt justified to defile what they considered their "house," their "rights" their ability to trample the rule of law.  5 people died before this infamy ended.  

So, what have we learned?  What can we agree on, all of us?  Not much, apparently.   The reality show of Trump productions ended its run with all the finality of a series-ending episode of The Sopranos. 

Here's what I know to be true.  The President is a sociopath.  He checks all the boxes and this final chapter underscores all of them.  Listen to his words, look at his disposition, record his behavior.  It's clear.

People don't share the same factual information anymore.  This recent phenomenon lies at the root of the problem.  If it remains untended, more hate and misinformation will fuel similar uprisings.

Bipartisanship must be nourished.  There is so much work to do to fix what has been trashed that the sooner the better the rehabilitation can begin.

People must be held accountable for their actions and their lieing.  That the propagation of outright lies is responsible for much of this terror is certain.  Trump's lies and fascination with conspiracies were visible from the beginning.  His "birther" crusade told us all we needed to know.

We must be careful about the mental state of anyone running for any position of leadership.  Any review of Donald Trump's rise to power will reveal outright racism, duplicity, and surprising ignorance about the history of the country he once led.  We could all use a review lesson on values clarification.  

So, we ask, is this the beginning or the end of something bigger?