The Awful Symbolism of the Assault on Our Capitol
Among the many ugly symbols on display in the attack on the U.S. Capitol, the event itself stands as the most offensive symbol of all
The attack on the United States Capitol by insurrectionist Trump supporters was awful for a litany of reasons, but it’s symbolism of the event itself that makes it so unique.
Yes, there were Confederate flags. Yes, there was that casually horrifying Camp Auschwitz hoodie. There was the QAnon “Q” worn by many, signifying alliance to cultish conspiracy theories. But these were borne by individuals, so many others who broke into the Capitol could claim a sort of plausible deniability: They will protest that they’re not aligned with those particular symbols. But by participating in breeching the Capitol building at all, they affixed themselves a larger symbolic event.
Although we’re known to be a surprisingly cooperative species, we human beings have also long resorted to violence to get our way. We attacked people physically. We bludgeoned them. We went to war. We, well, beat the shit out of each other. You don’t need a compelling argument, when you have a club. Or, for that matter, a gun. But over time, we have learned to approach our differences differently and in increasingly complex and…
