East Face, United States Capitol, Spring 1980.As noted below, I had queued this for the morning of I

East Face, United States Capitol, Spring 1980.As noted below, I had queued this for the morning of Inauguration Day, but after the horrific events today, I thought photos of the Capitol as a place for “government of the people etc.” and not ones of it being besieged by seditious insurrectionists would be appropriate this afternoon. Like all who prize living in a country espousing “liberty and justice for all,” I have considered, and still consider, the Capitol building as a symbol of the promise of the United States. I lived near it for almost a decade, and often it was a destination for a walk on a pleasant weekend afternoon or a small side trip on the way home from work. Until Covid-19 I passed it frequently on my way to other Capitol Hill sites, and it holds a special place in my being. Watching television reports showing seditious insurrectionists climbing this façade and invading the building has given me knots in my stomach and an intense sadness. I have spent considerable time in places where insurrections have occurred, several of them exceptionally bloody with vile outcomes, and often the insurrectionists attacked their national capitol building early in their efforts to overthrow the government. Television images a few minutes ago brought thoughts of those places and times. May we be saved from their fate and protected from those who invaded the building today!Original comments “On this Inauguration Day I thought it would be appropriate to post these photos of the East Face of the Capitol Building. Most inauguration ceremonies in the past century have been on the western side of the building facing the National Mall and the Washington Monument. An exception was the Carter Inauguration in 1977 which was held on the eastern side of the Capitol on a bitterly cold January day. As the photos indicate, in the the era prior to the “War on Terrorism,” access to the Capitol was largely unrestricted, and the public were allowed to congregate on the steps. No longer as access is strictly controlled, and the only entrance for most people just visiting is through an alienating “Visitor Center” at the basement level.” -- source link

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