carnage

for many americans it was a long-awaited dream to make america great again. for many it was the beginning of a nightmare. what i remember from being there that day are the black gates that stood tall outside lafayette square, the white stands that blocked views of the white house, the smiles that shaped the faces of supporters, and the disbelief sharpied into the signs of protestors. i remember the president’s speech about the forgotten men and women of this country, and his promises to bring back what america had lost: our jobs, our borders, our wealth, and our dreams. it was "going to be america first"—in the name of lifting up american workers and families. it was cold that day, and grey, the air was light and brittle, carrying the feeling that the next four years were going to be distinctly different, divisive, maybe even explosive. in the end, when this chapter is written, historians, those of us who lived through it, and generations unborn will long debate the words, the deeds, and the legacy of his presidency and the still-unexamined state of affairs that enabled his unprecedented rise, but for now one fact seems to be clear: those four years will end today at noon, when a new president will take the oath of office in a city resembling a war zone—above the western steps of the u.s. capitol where the outgoing president just two weeks ago made his final act, delivering what he promised to end: american carnage

—jk montane