We all have significant events that we will always remember. Sometimes we remember the specific date, and at other times we remember only the event. Whether they are world altering events, or just things that altered our lives personally, we all have them in our heads and something will always bring them back to the front of our minds from time to time.

For my generation, there are two world events that we will always remember where we were and what we were doing. The explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger and September 11, 2001. On January 28th, 1986, I was a senior in high school, sitting in Ms. Andrews Anatomy and Physiology class. I, yes I, because I was the resident AV geek, rolled the monstrous TV in on the monstrous cart, adjusted the antenna accordingly and we all sat and watched as America launched an ordinary, everyday teacher, into space.

We then watched it disappear into a chapter of history that will be remembered for generations to come, in literally seconds.

The shock and disbelief was palpable. As adults, we think that our teenagers tend to be clueless morons, moving around, bumping into walls and making bad decisions until they grow up and become adults and blossom into functioning adults. The truth is, those teenagers see and understand more than we remember. We watched that shuttle explode and we saw that dream of a greater future disappear before our very eyes. Our teenage eyes cried, our brows furrowed and we were thrust into a silence we had never known before.

With tears in her own eyes, Ms. Andrews turned off the TV and asked me to wheel it back upstairs. No one said another word for the rest of class, and in my 4 years at that school, the halls had never been that quiet for the rest of the day. We knew history had been made that day, and not for the better. We knew that it would be a day we would never forget.

My memory of September 11th, 2001 is less . . . the only word I can think of is pungent. I was driving to work. I was a mechanic and working at a shop in downtown Raleigh. I was late, and on the road and I remember not only the road, but the place on that road I was when I heard about the plane hitting the first tower. For my local friends, I was on Poole Rd, about 2 miles shy of getting on 440. For the rest of you, I was 10 minutes from work.

When I arrived at work, everyone was gathered in the waiting room, hunched around the TV and the second tower was on fire. I don’t need to tell you how the rest of that event went, but no ones car was fixed that day. We sat in that waiting room in front of the TV until closing time and then went home and sat in front of the TV there as well. If people slept that night, I was not one of them. I was an Honorably discharged US Marine that had fulfilled his commitment, and I would have gone back to active duty in a heartbeat out of shear vengeance.

Yes, there is a point . . .

Two days ago, I experienced a third historical event that I will never forget. January 6th, 2021. 6 days in to a new year that we all optimistically have hoped would be step forward over the miserable year that 2020 had turned out to be.

January 6th, 2021 is the day that we lost America, and we lost it in a way that affected not only America, but the entire world. Even if only for a few hours, we lost our country, and the most horrid part about it is that we lost it to our own President. I’ll go ahead and let you know, that is the last time that I will refer to him as “our President”.

Mr. Trump encouraged his supporters to go to the Capitol and . . . there is no other real way to put it . . . lay siege to the Constitutional process of confirming the electoral votes that make Joe Biden the winner of the Presidential election. Mr. Trump encouraged his supporters to literally attack the Capitol and disrupt the process that would make him no longer the leader of the most powerful country in the world.

Mr. Trump incited the unprecedented (a word we have heard FAR too often in the last year) attack on the very country, Constitution and Oath that he was sworn to preserve.

Mr. Trump committed Insurrection and Treason.

Mr. Trump tried to make America HIS, and not OURS.

Mr. Trump is about Mr. Trump.

Mr. Trump is, in my opinion, the worst criminal in US history.

Mr. Trump is interested in only ONE thing. Mr. Trump.

We, and by “we” I mean those of us with half a brain, knew from day one that this was going to be four years like none other in American history. We knew that there was NO telling what this man was capable of. We knew he was unstable and incapable from the start.

“Grab ’em by the pussy” wasn’t enough. Trump’s connections with Epstien wasn’t enough. Trump’s very publicly accessible allegations of rape and rape of minors wasn’t enough. Right, they’re “allegations”, but people don’t like me either, that doesn’t mean they would accuse me of the horrific things Trump has done.

Mr. Trump made himself a viable option to the people he thought could outnumber what was thought to be the majority. It is the only smart thing he ever did, because the overwhelming number of people in the country are uneducated, under-employed, over taxed and looking for a saviour. That is the audience he chose, that is the audience he got and that is the audience he held and led their confederate flag waving, gun toting, WHITE masses into the Capitol Building on January 6th.

A Constitutional process that spans more than 100 years was disrupted. Our senators, congressman and representatives that we have chosen were put in imminent threat of their very lives. Officers that we entrusted to protect our government died in the line of duty. Guns were trained on doors in anticipation of persons encouraged by Mr. Trump to invade our very process of law.

People dressed in ridiculous costumes, carrying flags from wars lost so very long ago, ran, without hindrance, through halls built generations before us, spewing hate that rivals only the hate that we fought to eliminate in WWII.

Trump revealed how solid of a control he has over rural America on Wednesday.

Trump revealed the level of intelligence he has to appeal to.

Trump revealed his level of intelligence.

I do not make these statements lightly.

I grew up with Trump.

No, not him personally, but his doppelganger.

My father was and is, Trump’s twin. He does no wrong. When he is wrong, it is because we told him something wrong. You either agree with him, or you are wrong. All conversations revolve around great things he has done. He takes responsibility for great accomplishments that in fact happened despite his advice. Anything he is involved in that fails is the responsibility of everyone else.

If I want my father to speak to me, I either have to do something that pisses him off, or I need to have information he wants.

So here is the point . . .

What happened on January 6th was not just an assault on the very basis that America was built on, it was, quite frankly, an act of war on the very entity of America itself. It was an attempt at Civil War II.

We will not allow this to happen. America has been a model for every single country in the entire world and we have been admired for what we created, throughout. Unfortunately, we have lost that status, and the leaders of other countries have had to reassure their citizens that Democracy is real and it works, despite what they have seen in the USA this week.

I put on the uniform of a US Marine. I earned the title and I am proud of it. THIS is not what I put it on for, and given the order, I would march into the Oval office and remove Mr. Trump from the chair by force, and I’d be more than happy to use the zip ties his followers carried into the Capitol building to restrain him.

In the last 4 years, over 350,000 US citizens have died as a result of his choices (or lack thereof), and on Wednesday, 5 people died DIRECTLY as a result of his incitement.

We have put people to death for less than his offence on January 6th.

Think about that.

Donald Trump is not America. He is not now and he never was. Donald Trump is Donald Trump and that is all he will ever be to him. He has never given a single SHIT about any of his followers, his country, his party, his office or his Oath. He cares only about himself.

I know this because I grew up under his doppelganger. I said it earlier, and I’m saying it again, not because I’m trying to be redundant, but because I want you to know, that I didn’t see this coming 4 years ago . . . I saw it coming 40 years ago.

I don’t know Donald Trump, but I do know HIM.

I’ll conclude, I swear . . .

I fear for our future, and at the same time I am optimistic. Joe Biden is not perfect, but at the very least, he knows how to act like an actual human being. He has the advantage of being the Vice President of the best President of our lifetime and having President Obama as an advisor moving forward. He has the advantage and/or disadvantage of suffering great loss due to both unfortunate circumstance and loyal duty. Right or wrong, he knows life, he knows loss and he knows how to feel, outside of himself.

I do not envy the days President Biden has ahead of him. He is picking up from a mess never before left by an exiting President.

At the time of this writing, we are 11 days from Inauguration. Mr. Trump has been permanently banned from Twitter, at least temporarily banned from Facebook and Instagram. He has lost his line of communication with his uneducated masses, and we worry what power he may use in his last 11 day.

The 25th amendment, is the best option, I believe. By the same token, his impeachment after he can’t pardon himself , , ,

He won’t resign. I know him. He’s not wrong, allllllll the rest of you are and he’ll die on that hill.

I’m done . . .

I’ve written a lot of negative stuff, but at the beginning, I expressed that there were very positive things that happened in my life.

I enjoy sobriety in a way I never thought I would. I’ve slipped up, had a couple bad times, but a lot of things have made those times become fewer and far between. I am comfortable where I am. I learned a long time ago to never promise perfection, but in the times I fall off, I maintain a close connection to the lifesavers I have nearby.

I’d like to blame those issues on my past. Years of therapy helped me figure out, I’m responsible for about half of it. When I pick up a bottle, I’m responsible for about 95% of it.

Thank you . . .

I recently found myself back in touch with someone that I have sought many times over the years. I figured when I got in touch with her that it would be “Oh, cool! Great to see you!

So here is the real story: She was the first girl I kissed, EVER. She knew I was nervous and just, well, young and weird and all 80;s n shit. I, of course, (picture the nerd in Breakfast Club} was immediately enamored.

Fast forward to 2021, we are back in touch and she is inspirational in ways I can’t even describe. She is my best friend and I haven’t seen her since 1995. It’s like we never missed a day since then

I type because you encourage me.

I smile because you are with me.

I become better because you are near me.

You know who you are.

The end . . .

I do not envy you, President Biden, but I’m putting my trust in you. Make America, America again.