A Semblance of Peace, Courtesy of Thompson and Cheney

Why do I feel vindicated?

How did a few hours of testimony and video from the January 6th House Committee cause so much relief to bubble up to the surface from some troubled place inside of me?

Because, contrary to what Kevin McCarthy says, I was not responsible for the mayhem that took place at our regal Capitol building on that stain of a day. I was minding my own business, trying to prepare for a Zoom meeting with a colleague, when I had to text her to say my preoccupation with what was unraveling in Washington, D.C. was messing with my ability to be ready for our session.

She thought I was referring to some standard protest, the kind that happens there all the time. No, I said, turn on your TV. Suffice to say, our meeting never happened.

I was undone. And I’ve spent a year-plus attempting to understand how anyone with eyes could see that in real time and shrug it off as a tourist visit or no big deal. Democrats and never-Trumpers just trying to bring down their guy again — *eyeroll*

Seriously, though, imagine the kind of propaganda you’d have to peddle to get reasonable people to believe bullet-proof vests, seething anger, a noose, weaponized cattle prods and flagpoles, and, yes, dead human beings add up to “On your left, we have a statue of Thomas…