parenting triplets in the Capital District
Triple Threat
Unprecedented times
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The Steuer family watches in horror as violence consumes the Capitol
ome things in life defy explanation, and some just smack you in the face with the obvious. As my family and I watched the events unfold on Jan. 6, we were dumbfounded. We wondered how the president of the United State managed to get thousands of other people to storm the nation’s Capitol? Over the course of his presidency, we have watched how Donald J. Trump courts fringe groups that reinforce his feelings of entitlement and persecution. In the final weeks of his presidency, many words became common in my family’s daily conversations: treason, sedition, insurrection, morals, ethics, libel, slander, indictment, acquitted v. innocent. This presidency has created vocabulary lessons for us all. Forget about being smarter than a fifth-grader! I’m trying to define words that I learned in high school and college for Olivia, Benjamin and Rebecca. Our dictionary has gotten quite a workout as we read the paper or watch the news. I have a list of words in a text message to myself so I can remember what to look up or what word needs further explanation to my 13-year-old kids. Some are concepts that 13-yearolds won’t understand. Some are foreign to adults, as well. On Jan. 6, Congress was attempting to certify the Electoral College’s decision that elected Joe Biden and Kamala Har-
ris the next president and vice president of the United States. I watched as the tone of the ceremony changed when rioters breached the building. I saw pictures of people huddling in fear or running to a secure location. As the mob advanced, they cheered as they illegally entered the offices of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and other staffers.
on video. Five years ago we saw the way violence followed him, and he explained it away. The slippery slope to an attempted coup began with the declaration that it’s OK to beat on someone who doesn’t agree with him. Voltaire is credited with saying, “Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
Our family could only watch On the afternoon of Jan. the events in disbelief. Things 6, Harlan called out that like this do not hapthe Capitol was bepen in the United ing stormed, and I States of America, laughed because the by we thought. As thought of people my children forcing their way watched the glass into the iconic breaking and the and impenetrable rioters beating on structure was just doors and windows beyond comprehenstorming into the sion. Then I watched Capitol building, they and cried. What was hapkept asking what was happenpening? Our world was turned ing and if we were safe. The upside down by a mob of men adults wondered if our governand women who desecrated ment was being overthrown. Is a symbol of our country’s this a coup? Harlan and I did strength and power. everything we could to explain Five individuals died from the situation, but our voices got the events that afternoon. One raspy and dry as time went on. woman was shot by a police Flash back to February officer and three other rioters 2016. As one of Trump’s rallies suffered lethal medical events. became violent, he declared One member of the U.S. “Knock the crap out of them, Capitol Police, Brian Sicknick, would you? Seriously. OK? was killed by rioters. At least Just knock the hell – I promise 50 police officers were injured. you, I will pay for the legal The death toll could have been fees. I promise, I promise.” so much higher. A variety of When pressed by George pipe bombs, Molotov cocktails Stephanopoulos, Trump denied and IEDs were found in trucks making this promise even when nearby – actions designed to presented with his own words create mayhem and destruction.
Jennifer Steuer
It did not work. Politicians and pundits on both sides of the political aisle have said Trump caused this frenzied activity with his words and have condemned him for failing to take responsibility for the actions of the people he says he “loves” and “cares about.” There number of arrests following the incident steadily climbed as the FBI and CIA looked at the recordings made during the riot and identified many of those involved. Benjamin, Rebecca and Olivia are drawn to the news because the actions of Trump and his followers affect their country. The level of violence that has been deemed acceptable, and the marginalizing of the people living in this country or people seeking a better life does not make this country great. These hateful and hurtful actions only tarnish our country and create discord among us. This is not the country I want for my children. History has been made. This is a watershed moment in the lives of my kids and yours. In conversations they will have with their peers, this will be the question: Where were you when the Capitol was overrun by domestic terrorists? Jennifer Steuer is an Albany mom whose busy household includes her husband, Harlan, and 13-year-old triplets Olivia, Benjamin and Rebecca. Follow her on Instagram: jennifersteuer.
As my children watched the glass breaking and the rioters beating on doors and windows storming into the Capitol building, they kept asking what was happening and if we were safe. February 2021 — cdFamilyNow.com 7
