The U.S. Capitol is one of our enduring symbols of democracy, despite many of the autocratic charlatans walking around its halls of late. It took decades to build, ironically with crucial help from enslaved labor, after President Washington laid the cornerstone for the Capitol 227 years ago today. Work on the Capitol continued even during the Civil War, a sign of how revered the building had become and how important it was to continue the work. The January 6 seditious riot and attempted coup at the Capitol, instigated by a lying sociopath and mentally unstable election loser, was the low point in the Capitol's long history, with mobs assaulting police officers, breaking doors and windows, and even defecating within its halls.
While the Capitol's physical cornerstone remains strong, the Trumpist movement from that January day threatens the foundation of what the Capitol is intended to symbolize: the rule of law, and democratic institutions that preserve it. Those that oppose it must be defeated at the ballot box.
(image: Architect of the Capitol)
