One of the process realities are connections between what lies on either side of a boundary when they are a significant part of defining one another. A Day of Inauguration cannot begin unless there is an equivalent Day of Extinguishment. Without their being paired, all manner of fantasies that all-will-be-well will creep in to cause later anguish.
The president of carnage needs recognition, not for his sake, but for the work of the president of unity and empathy. This lack of clarity has already been at work with those nominated to cabinet positions. The purveyors of carnage are still standing as obstacles.
Carnage was the promise of D. T. (Other D.T.s have been caused in so many by one main actor). So it was proclaimed in his first speech on the Capitol steps. A surfeit of lies carefully constructed brought that carnage to fruition. It was evident in the widening of an economic gap between citizens [a micron-size slice of the citizenry benefited at the direct expense of the overwhelming and growing number of poor]. It was evident in police brutality [undeclared local martial law]. It was evident in incompetence to deal with a real physical reality of contagion [more citizens dying in one year than in two World Wars]. It was evident through an initial participation in the voting game and subsequent abandonment of its basic rule of counting [choice was treated as no-choice, revealing the petty dictator as a naked emperor].
Unless this is detailed, those involved acknowledge their deeds, and a gracious reconciliation (see South Africa and Nicaragua experience after throwing off oppressive governments) is implemented, moving forward is greatly impeded. This is no flash in the pan hoopla of one day. This is years of work to free the future from the grip of an ugly past.
Note that there is always the possibility of such a major crisis of wealth disparity, institutional racism, pandemic, and insurrection contains good seeds that might be given an opportunity to grow. Unfortunately, a lack of recognition of the enthrallment we have had with inherently flawed individuals with their vision narrowed to only themselves will continue to haunt.
That haunting may have some hearking back to an old story about seeds. Haunted seeds find themselves bouncing off hardened surfaces and hearts and picked off, one by one [opportunistic feeders on easy money]. Haunted seeds find themselves in shallow soil with no room for roots because all the resources have been siphoned off [excessive military funding and insufficient taxation base because of breaks given the rich and corporations]. Haunted seeds find themselves waking up to find the weeds have grown faster and block their opening to blossom [crony capitalism and corporate lobbyists have gotten to the resources before them].
For seeds to flourish, many intersections have to come together. It may be that the plethora of crises will provide that intersection where something else has to be birthed. If so, the promise is that the investment needed will be repaid thirty, sixty, and one hundred times more.
The choices come down to Truth and Reconciliation or A Newer Deal. Both can be blocked. Vigilance and Action are the only antidotes to Carnage.
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To shift gears, as this is written the list of pardons is not yet available. Of major concern for the chaos D.T. sows wherever he goes is a mass pardon of all those imprisoned for minor drug offenses. I believe they deserve to be released, but to do so at midnight means there would be no way of supporting them in a transition back to everyday life, come morning light. A lack of resources would be expected to have an enormous recidivism rate. A moment of euphoria would be followed by questions of how to survive with no resources for housing, food, work, and an increased drain on community resources to assist folks in such an abrupt change.