I had originally planned for this post to be a hopeful one that reflected the news I woke up to. Georgia conducted their run off election. Regardless, it was a great encouragement to see that as a young person in America, my vote mattered. I was seeing amazing news in terms of the political state of the American government. Rep. Marilyn Strickland swore into Congress wearing a hanbok, I saw Colorado flip a seat in the Senate, and truth be told I was starting to get really hopeful.

It showed that citizens had impact. There was no longer an excuse of “my vote doesn’t even matter”. I saw firsthand just how much a vote could dictate an election. I was honored to see this history before my eyes.

To see the impact that many people like Stacey Abrams contributed to the voter turnout in Georgia and the number of minorities that voted in this election still makes me smile.

That was until I saw the news that a mass group of extreme Trump supporters stormed the Capitol while Senators and Representatives were in session to debate the electoral college votes in Arizona.

I have no words. It was incredibly saddening to see people STILL without masks during a raging pandemic to violently raid a place where the leaders were deliberating. To have gotten so far as the very chair that the VP and the Speaker of the House sit. I am reminded that with all the progress that came this year in terms of voter turnout we, as a country, have a LONG way to go.

I have never seen anything like I did today. I am both grateful to not be in DC today, but also just so at a loss of words that something like this even has to happen. I think this is a wake up call to all our leaders, to our neighbors, to our children, to our friends, and future generations to know that today is a frightful day in history.

My mentor wrote this quote, “just because you are against violence and for “peace” doesn’t always mean you’re antiracist”. As a society, we need to do a deeper analysis of the actions (or lack thereof) that occured today.

The work is not done.

JLee