Editorial: What took place at the U.S. Capitol was despicable

This is not a political editorial. This is a statement.

The actions that took place in Washington D.C. were despicable. It is an embarrassment to our country and it’s an embarrassment to the people of the United States. But let me touch on a few more topics.

This isn’t about a political party. This isn’t about who is right or wrong. It’s about a group of individuals who were upset about the results of an election and decided to make the decision to infiltrate the United States Capitol.

While these individuals celebrate their actions and achievements with photos and comments, they do not recognize the biggest thing that has happened during their invasion. Their invasion claimed lives.

I did not know about the incident at the U.S. Capitol until I got home from a track meet last Wednesday. When I saw the video and read about what took place, I was disgusted for several reasons. One of the biggest things that honestly ticked me off was that those who infiltrated the U.S. Capitol later appeared on social media with statements.

Many of those statements referenced the individuals resigning from positions.

There was no apology for their actions. There was no apology of the lives lost by those who were doing their job. It was comments simply saying that they were sorry for anything they may have done and that they were stepping down from that position he/she was in.

That infuriated me.

Regardless of the reasoning and who you support politically, the depiction of America has been twisted in the minds of all. And yes, I’m about to vent.

There is often criticism that movements for the advancement of minorities such as African-Americans, Native Americans, Latinos, and others are “hostile gatherings” and must be dealt with quickly. Precautions and preparations are made but yet, when these minority groups and supporters get together (including the Caucasian Americans who support them) in a peaceful manner, they are deemed a threat to society and violence.

However, when organizations and individuals enter a building that house those that were voted in by citizens and literally raid and loot the building, they are treated differently. Allegedly (which is a word that prevents any accusation), the entry into the U.S. Capitol was known ahead of time. And when some politicians are advised to leave the session where electoral votes are being argued on the floor before the infiltration begins, it looks suspicious. However, there is no evidence (as of now) that points this way.

The only thing I will say (which is truly sad to say) is that I believe that if the group of individuals were of a different race, the outcome could have been much more gruesome. I don’t say that because I want to say it, I say it because America still isn’t truly equal. There are some people who remain prejudicial because of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, social standards, economical standards, educational standards, and so many more divides. There are some people that don’t believe that all human beings in the United States should be equal based on the aforementioned qualities.

I don’t like diving into these types of topics but sometimes the facts are there and have to be put out there. A group of individuals didn’t get their way and believed statements that were not factually proven and took it among themselves to invade the United States Capitol.

Regardless if you’re a Republican, Democrat, Independent, you supported President Donald Trump, you supported President-Elect Joe Biden, or you supported an independent candidate, as Americans, we need to learn to get along better and do it quickly. You’re not going to always get the things you want in life and things won’t always go the way you have hoped to go. But right now, you do have life, which is something that some people can’t say anymore after the breach of the United States Capitol.

Stay humble, pray, and remember that we must work together for the betterment of each other as people.