Of course this is happening. How could it be any other way?

Supporters of President Trump are protesting the results of the election and have entered the building, forcing a lock down which effectively delays the confirmation of November’s vote. Maybe tomorrow, who knows? Eventually, the politicians will certify Joe Biden’s win. Or they won’t and the practice of citizens voting for our leaders will be taken out back and shot, like a suffering wounded animal.

The latest report, 9 minutes ago, says that “Lawmakers given gas masks on the House floor,” because there’s “tear gas in the rotunda.”

I wonder if anyone is embarrassed. Probably not. It’s taken pretty many small, insignificant steps to get to the point where this is just another. At some point in our history, this was inconceivable, just impossible, and now it’s not. Now it’s just what we do.

Politicians will pretend to be shocked. We will, too. As if someone else is driving the cars in the demolition derby. But we’ll all know deep down that this, like Thanos, was inevitable.

Across the street from the elementary school in my town, a banner reads “Trump 2020 No More Bullshit.” I pass 3 more like it on my way to the grocery store. The party of family values and the religious right (“But what about the CHILDREN?!!!?”) now has the signs I have to explain to my kids. Yes, I know there were riots in the streets on the other side of the aisle until the election, and I heard righteous indignation from those who have now apparently brought tear gas into the rotunda. Because the only opinion that matters is mine and the only thing that matters is that I win. Names change, sides change, positions change, principles change. The ones who bring the tear gas change. The ones who are inside change.

It’s all about The Other. Them. They are obviously wrong and misinformed and stubborn lying cheaters who can’t count votes or don’t want to and who knows what’s worse. And then “They” switch sides like musical chairs and the lying cheaters who can’t count now have tear gas. It’s the same us vs. them story that never goes out of style.

But you know it’s all just us and sometimes a year like 2020 where riots or protests (whatever you want to call them today) don’t even make the front page anymore and our values shift with the wind based solely on power and popular opinion can bring bright lights into dark corners and crack us wide open. That’s good. It hurts a lot, but it’s good. Necessary.

Then, the only things that change are our hearts and “They” disappear, we see we’re all just human beings on a rocket ship to ruin unless we can bury hatchets or whatever cliche you prefer. When we’re all just “we” and “us.” We were always going to end up here, but it’s here that we find the absolute most important and exciting question: Now what?

Where do you even start? There’s a joke that’s not really a joke that goes, “How do you eat an elephant?” “One bite at a time.” I wonder if this will be the straw that pushes us all one step closer to eating that elephant. I hope so.