We have heard a lot about the “insurrection” of Jan. 6. About the “mob” of Trump supporters who “stormed” the U.S. Capitol.
I put those in quotation marks because, as someone who was physically at the Capitol that day, I would never classify what happened that way.
But I will say many people are missing a real problem that was exposed on Jan. 6, 20201.
If the Peoples’ employees were inside the Peoples’ House doing the Peoples’ business, why on earth was it illegal for the people to be inside?
I know, I know. COVID-19 has created this apocalyptic scenario where we are all at risk of dying at any instant. Therefore the Capitol had to be shut down when it comes to the public.
But here’s the deal — that building belongs to the pubilc.
The Capitol building never should have been locked to begin with.
Again, some basic facts:
- The U.S. Capitol is the Peoples’ House.
- Congressional representatives are the Peoples’ employees.
- Debating and voting on the floor of the House and Senate involve doing the Peoples’ business.
In my view, the people have every right to be present when this is happening. And the fact they weren’t allowed into their building is criminal.
Now, hear me out. There are sets of rules for decorum and behavior of course once you enter the Capitol. But to be locked out of your own house is insulting.
Any person who vandalized anything inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 deserves to be arrested and charged.
That’s criminal behavior.
But it’s also criminal to lock the people out of their own House while business is going on.
Americans never should have been prohibited from entering their own Capitol.
More people need to point this out. Congress works for us, not the other way around.
That building belongs to us, the people. Not “us,” the government.
