Screen grab of insurrectionists at the Capitol

Sadly, yes: this is who we are

Time to face the truth

5 min readJan 8, 2021

“This is not who we are,” said Joe Biden on Wednesday, as armed insurrectionists freely roamed the Capitol:

Let me be very clear: The scenes of chaos at the Capitol do not reflect a true America. Do not represent who we are. What we’re seeing are a small number of extremists dedicated to lawlessness.

I like Joe Biden. I’m glad he won the election. I want him to de-escalate, to soothe, to uplift. I want him to empower the better angels of our nature.

I also want him to speak the truth. I want him to face with relentless discipline the reality of the society he has just been certified to preside over as President.

I want him to lead.

Because the truth is that this is who we are.

@drakegatsby: If everybody says “this is not who we are” then who was doing all that

What happened at the Capitol was horrifying. Shocking. Heartbreaking.

But eminently unsurprising.

@colvinj: The Rioters Who Took Over The Capitol Have Been Planning Online In The Open For Weeks

According to a YouGov poll taken the day of the siege, one in five registered voters “strongly or somewhat” supported the storming of the Capitol. Among Republicans, that number jumps to 45%.

26% of registered voters — one in four — think Joe Biden is “a great deal or somewhat to blame” for the attack. 52% of Republican voters think so.

This is not a small group of disaffected extremists. This is not fringe.

And, if we ignore the underlying causes, we’re going to see it again — and worse.

We need to have the courage to admit what should by now be painfully obvious:

White supremacy is the beating heart of this movement.