Today, all around the world, there was one story: the seige of the U.S. Capitol. President Trump spoke to his followers, worked them into a frenzy and off they marched to the U.S. Capitol building. They pushed past barriers, climbed walls and broke windows to gain entry to the building, possibly the figurative heart of democracy in the United States.
I'm Canadian. I live hundreds of miles distant from Washington, D.C. And yet, I don't feel all that removed from the disastrous actions of the day. If there is one thing following the posts of members of this group has confirmed for me, it is that the concerns, the interests, the stuff that brings people joy are universal.
But there is a corollary: it is not just the good, the positive, that is universal. It is also the bad. What happened in Washington today is a warning to all of us. The Yanks are not unique.
I was born shortly after the end of the Second World War. I had a good friend who wore embroidered leather shorts held up by shoulder straps. His family had fled Austria and moved to Canada. Another friend was Japanese. His family had fled the distant island at war's end. I liked both boys and wondered how their nations could be the cause of a world war.
"There but for the grace of God go I," my mother said. Don't watch what is happening in the States with Donald Trump and feel smug. Take it as a warning. "There but for the grace of God go I."
No comments:
Post a Comment