January 9, 2021 - News Post

Rant alert: This news was posted following violent attacks in DC on Wednesday. It's not a fun, friendly read. I'm angry, and it shows.

If you’re reading this in the future, this past Wednesday was the day that our glorious leader incited a violent mob to storm the Capitol building. This was a surprise to no one. Had the crowd been only slightly more organized, most of Congress would be dead along with any semblance of democracy.

As of the time of this writing, the only tangible consequences for the President who attempted a coup has come in the form of some social media restrictions. I feel so safe knowing that the guy who wields complete control of our nuclear arsenal has been hampered on social media.

Currently, more attacks are warned to be on the way. And while I spent days gathering my thoughts and attempting to write a well-reasoned post, Trump’s supporters were sharpening their knives and spreading hate on social media.

Sigh.

I wrote multiple versions of this newspost. Oh so many versions. Some understanding, some hopeful. Some that took the bait and addressed each and every talking point of the mob, as if logic and reason would suddenly help. But I'm tired of the willfully ignorant in our society setting the terms of the debate.

I’m tired of trying to wrap my head around the mind-bendingly nonsensical conspiracy of the week. I’m tired of the contrast in response between largely peaceful BLM protesters and the treatment afforded violent insurrectionists intent on murder. I’m tired of the poisonous lies believed by adults in this country that can be seen through by a dim-witted child.

While I do find the terrorist mob responsible for their own actions, the lion’s share of the blame needs to fall on those who knowingly spread lies to incite a mob. They're easy to spot. They're the politicians and "news" outlets calling for a lack of repercussions for the president, the ones who have trouble spotting confederate flags in the photos of people storming the Capitol, the ones attempting to invalidate and suppress votes. The ones who, before all the pipe bombs were even cleared out of the Capitol, claimed that the day's agitators were antifa in disguise (attempting to make conservatives look bad).

I’ve lost a lot of friends to those easily disproven lies. Relatives too.

Thankfully, more than one of those individuals have seen this past week as a bit of a wake-up call. People who I was fully prepared to argue with are suddenly disillusioned. The president has finally angered just about everyone. It’s the most I’ve seen liberals and conservatives agree in years, even former Trump supporters.

That’s big.

That’s hopeful.

That’s still not everyone.

...

To the former friends of mine who still support Trump even after this week’s failed coup:

Wow.

So this is the guy. This guy. He's the one you're willing to throw it all away for. That you're willing to violently, selfishly take down democracy itself for. This masochistic laughing stock of a criminal thug shamelessly opportunistic lying piece of shit misogynist sadistic fascist xenophobic racist. Him. One of the only idiots on earth that could turn a pandemic into a culture war. That's your guy. The one whose word you're willing to lay your life down for, to join with neo-Nazis for, to storm Congress for, to plan murders for.

Of course he is.

Long long after we’re all gone, people will think of you with mockery and disgust, as a cautionary tale of what happens when greed, stupidity, gullibility, stupidity, shortsightedness, and stupidity meet.

You know... kind of how everyone views you now.

I'm ashamed to have ever met you.

...

To everyone else out there, stay safe.

(Note: This news was posted on Tuesday, a few days after the comic)

-Jeff