I thought I had seen it all in my lifetime, from the assignations of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy, to the Viet Nam war and the Kent State shootings, Watergate, 911, and the last decade of police atrocities against black Americans. I traveled the world in service to my country, to places like the Soviet Union and China where democracy did not exist, but nothing prepared me for the shameful acts that played out before our nation on live television on January 6th. It was the inevitable conclusion of the last five years since Donald Trump declared his candidacy for the White House. In the end our democracy remained intact as law and order was restored and Congress came back in session to certify the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
It will take a long time to get over this. But be thankful for the good that America is and what we have. Work to nurture it back to health. Help to repair what needs to be fixed. Photograph it.
Stay safe and stay vigilant,
Michael