Death of a nation

My favorite part of American history is the revolution. After thousands of years of rule by monarchies, people decided they had enough and developed their own form of government. These were not perfect people and the government they created was set up to become “a more perfect union.” They had no illusions that they were creating perfection.

I live in a part of the country that was central to the forming of the new nation. Fans of Turn: Washington’s Spies, which chronicled the work of the Culper Spy ring in Setauket, Long Island (the next town over) have seen the history of where I live and grew up. My ancestors crossed the Atlantic on the Mayflower. I am looking to join the Daughters of the American Revolution. The Constitution is my bible.

And as I sit here, in 2021, I am wondering if I am about to witness the end of the government created by people like Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. I used to joke that if the Founding Fathers could see what we have become, they would never have created a republic. This was before the Capitol Building was overtaken by Qanon, the Oath Keepers and the 3 Percenters. They came dangerously close to killing Vice President Pence, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and all the rest of the Congress. If it were not for the courage of one Capitol Police officer, Eugene Goodman, we may be referring to this as a “mass casualty” event. One person who was in danger as…