As I sat in the comfort of my home on January 6th, I couldn’t help but feel shaken and disturbed, witnessing the events that took place on Capitol Hill. At first, I don’t think I truly understood the gravity of what was happening, but as I continued to see the photos and videos filter in, as Twitter updated every minute, and I sat in my kitchen watching the senators vote- by the end of the night I was wrecked. For some reason, I felt invaded; as if someone broke into my home and stole from me. I didn’t understand why. I was six hundred miles from Washington, D.C. and it wasn’t like I had a personal connection to the Capitol, yet, knowing all this, I still felt invaded.

When I think of the Capitol Building, the first word that comes to mind is “respect.” The Capitol Building and all it inhabits is entitled to respect from all who enter, that’s just the way it’s always been. To see such lack of respect and reverence from every single person who entered our beloved Capitol on January 6th was shocking, disgraceful, and should never have happened. If this insurrection doesn’t serve as a wake up call to our country and our elected officials, nothing will. 

After sitting with what happened for a few days, I’ve come to realize that, although I may not have been there or had a personal connection with the Capitol Building, feeling invaded and unsafe is completely valid. The fact of the matter is, although this event took place six hundred miles away, the insurrectionists that committed this crime come from all over the country, and even if these people were limited to D.C. city limits, they’re still a threat to our country and our safety. The country we live in was attacked, and it’s okay to be affected by it.

What happened last week was something that nobody saw coming and everyone wished didn’t happen. Moving forward, I hope we have conversations about what happened, how it made us feel, and how we can learn from the information we were given and continue to receive, to ensure the safety and security of our democracy. The attack wasn’t limited to the Capitol Building and those inside. It was an attack on all of us, and I hope something productive comes from the trauma and fear that these domestic terrorists incited in the name of patriotism.