Having the United States Capitol Building taken over and desecrated by a violent mob was not something most Americans ever expected to see.

To have it take place while a historic joint session of Congress was taking place made it all the more disturbing.

A number of local elected officials voiced their views on that violence on Twitter.

Mayor Nancy Vaughan expressed her concern that the issue was racial and tweeted, “If this was a BLM protest Trump would be screaming for law and order.  White privilege on display.”

 

 

City Councilmember Justin Outling, who has announced he is running for mayor this year, expressed concern for those working in the Capitol, which, of course, included the entire House of Representatives and the Senate.

Outling tweeted, “My heart goes out to those working in the US Capitol today.  I believe in America and democracy and this is not it.”

 

 

City Councilmember Sharon Hightower also saw a connection to Black Lives Matter and tweeted, “Totally unacceptable.  If this was Black Lives, they would be called hoodlums.  Is this how the next four years will be?  We accepted their victory. Now it’s time for accept ours.  So disrespectful to the Capitol built by slaves.”

 

 

State Rep. Jon Hardister tweeted his press release on the violence.  He tweeted, “Here is a statement that I released today on the violence that occurred at the U.S. Capitol.  We are better than this.

“It is concerning to see what is happening in our nation’s capital.  Peaceful protesting is good for democracy, but there is not place for violence.

“The most effective way to change hearts and minds is with the spoken word, not with acts of violence. Law and order must be respected at all times.  Doing harm to people and destroying property is not the answer.

“Our country has been through a lot with the pandemic, a contentious election and a divided electorate. We must work to overcome these challenges, but our efforts must be peaceful.

“We should listen to each other, respect each other’s opinion, and work to make changes within the confines of the law.  I pray for the preservation of freedom and tranquility in our great nation.”