By: Isabella Pikner
January 6, 2021

If you don’t already know, there has been an invasion of the Capitol Building by Trump supporters, who on his behalf, are protesting his loss. This has been a terrifying and anxiety-inducing event for everyone, and many people are calling on Trump to dismantle the protests. This is an organized ordeal, and it is clear to see the bias in the United States government’s actions. So far, the United States government has tried to stop these events but has failed. There have been explosives found at the scene and Congress members have been instructed to wear gas masks as a safety precaution. People have been seriously injured, shot, and stabbed. Trump has released a video telling them to “go home” and be peaceful, but we cannot ignore the words, “I love you” at the end referring to the protesters. Some speculate that Trump is in favor of these protests and simply released the video for damage control.

What are these so-called protesters, really? According to the FBI, the definition of international terrorism is, “Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups who are inspired by, or associated with, designated foreign terrorist organizations or nations (state-sponsored).” The definition of domestic terrorism is, “Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature.” As you can see, these “protests” fit the clear definition. Despite this being a terrorist attack, the media is not calling it one, and it is instead calling it a protest or a riot.

What does this tell us about bias in the government? Well, compared to the BLM protests that occurred this summer, you can note just how often riot control comes in, even without riots being present. Additionally, the police escalated the situation into a riot many, many times. These protests, however, have not been as effective. It also shows how impactful propaganda can be in the United States, to cause such dedication to a president. This can be an easy tool to spread hate or bigotry in the future and make it widely accepted. The bias also shows that people can be indirectly penalized for their political views, which is, ironically, a form of voter suppression. It is also at odds with the first amendment.

In conclusion, these terrorist attacks are further showing corruption in the United States, while also endangering the lives of Congress members and many more. If you are wondering what you can do, here are a few ideas: Educate yourself and family members on current events, educate yourself on political issues, and most importantly, talk about it. Spread the news on what is happening, call it what it is. We cannot let this go. These events can, will, and have seriously hurt people.