Opinion: The Capitol Storming and Our Browning Values

Supporters of Former President Trump attempting to take over the Capitol Building, January 2021. After months of the Former President lying about the results of the election, his supporters attempted to overturn the results of the Presidential Election. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

On January 6, a group of rioters who supported former President Donald Trump stormed Capitol Hill because they believed the election was stolen from him. Congress was in the process of certifying the electoral votes when the mob started to charge into the building. For the first time ever, the confederate flag, a sign of racism and hatred, flew in the Capitol building. 

We are all familiar with the troubling images that are constantly displayed across media. Some of the most disturbing photos were those taken at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s desk, with a mob member holding a manilla folder that read “We Will Not Back Down” and an image of another rioter holding his right fist up to the air and seated in Vice President Mike Pence’s chair. 

The rioters were not only racist, as they flew the confederate flag, but also blatantly antisemitic. Some wore shirts that read “Camp Auschwitz,” as well as similar shirts that praised Nazis and the Holocaust, the genocide of six million Jews. As a Jewish person, I find it disturbing that Camp Auschwitz, the most notorious death camp - where approximately one million Jews were killed - had a place on a T-shirt and was being proudly worn in one of our nation’s most important buildings. This country stands for religious freedom, does it not?

There is a fine line between protesting and rioting. The Capitol Stormers crossed that line. It is scary that they were able to make their way into the building itself, but even scarier to think the rioters were in the rooms where Congress makes and passes laws because those laws make our country, our country. The mob was extremely close to our lawmakers.

 The rioters were self-proclaimed “patriots” and “true Americans,” but they were, in fact, the opposite. There is nothing American about a threat to democracy. There is nothing American about violence. There is nothing American about an attempted coup.

The Capitol is a symbol of who we are and what we stand for. The rioters, well, they stood against democracy and peace, two key American ideals. At Browning, we stand for honesty, curiosity, dignity, and purpose, as outlined in our mission statement, but also demonstrated in every Zoom meeting and classroom.

My American History class went 40 minutes overtime because we were having such a passionate discussion on the events of January 6. My peers were interested and engaged in the conversation at hand.

Students disagree not to win, but to learn, and to understand other perspectives. Admitting when we can do better to make sure everyone feels comfortable raising their voices. Students think critically to support their opinions, which is important because when we think, we learn. This is why the community at Browning is so special, unique, and tight-knit. A community where everyone is close with one another and members of the community are free to be themselves and express their thoughts.