Unlike most weekdays when I’m behind my computer catching up on the news and researching stories to write, I was away from home for a few hours earlier today when I got the breaking news alerts of the chaos that unfolded in Washington, D.C. as Congress prepared to convene to count, certify (and dispute) Electoral College votes.

Knowing how the media frequently embellishes and sensationalizes stories, I didn’t believe the headlines I was seeing at first. Surely no one had “stormed the Capitol”, I told myself. I convinced myself that once I got home and was able to really check into what was going on that I would find out that what I’d read earlier had been exaggerated by the press.

But then I got home and realized they weren’t exaggerating. We reported earlier about what happened initially when windows were smashed and the Capitol was breached, and then later, I read the report about the woman who was shot in the neck by Capitol Hill police. Sadly, she has died.

What I saw today happen on Capitol Hill are things I never thought I’d see in my lifetime. But here we are. While my colleagues have shared their thoughts on what happened and will continue to in the coming hours and days, I’d like to share mine, in no particular order of importance. I’ve got some questions that I think need to be asked and there are some things I believe that need to be said, some of which might be unpopular to say.

First, the questions. There were some “reports” that there were “thousands” of “Trump supporters” who made the charge on the Capitol.

1) The exact number of people who made the breach has not been confirmed, despite some media reports claiming otherwise. From what I saw from the videos, it might have been a few hundred or less, not “thousands.” Even one doing this is wrong, let alone hundreds. But the vast majority of the people who came to DC for the pro-Trump rally were peaceful, and I think that needs to be emphasized in the coming days as the MSM and Democrats continue painting conservatives with a broad brush.

One thing that needs to be investigated and reported is just how many took part in the violence and storming of the Hill?

2) Of those who got violent, were any of them Antifa/far-left infiltrators sent to help agitate and stir up the crowd? I saw various unverified photos on Twitter earlier of people who looked like they would not fit in with a typical pro-Trump crowd. Even though it wouldn’t justify what happened today, the “who was part of the mob?” question definitely needs to be answered.

3) Was this pre-planned or spontaneous?

As to my general observations, I don’t feel the need to virtue signal my condemnation of the day’s events. My thoughts are pretty much in line with Bonchie’s here. With that out of the way, let’s get to the meat of my jumbled mass of observations and thoughts.

Firstly, there were some on the right and in the media who equated the lawlessness that happened today to the 9/11 attacks, calling the D.C. chaos “domestic terrorism.” While today’s events are indeed a very shameful moment in our nation’s history, calling it “terrorism” and especially comparing it the 9/11 terror attacks is way over the top.

Secondly, it’s fascinating that the media and Democrats have all of a sudden figured out that violence and rioting are wrong and should be condemned. We all remember how for months last year they painted violent Antifa/BLM rioters and agitators as “peaceful protesters” even as businesses were looted and burned to the ground, entire city blocks were turned to ashes, federal courthouses and officers were attacked with incendiary devices, and neighborhoods were invaded.

Radical BLM/Antifa "protesters" participated in violent destruction in major Democrat-run cities across America for months last year, and the vast majority of them have faced no punishment. In fact, they were called "peaceful" by Democrats and media types now denouncing violence. https://t.co/DFqMFr5Pxz

— Sister Toldjah, VP of BS Detection 😁 (@sistertoldjah) January 6, 2021

Neither is burning Saint John's Church, firebombing Kenosha, attacking federal courthouses in Portland… https://t.co/rAHSEy1Hqz

— Joy Pullmann (@JoyPullmann) January 6, 2021

Let’s also not forget how DC itself was on fire at certain points during the “peaceful protests” that were being praised by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, and prominent media figures like CNN’s Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon:

Reminder that our nation's capital looked like this at the beginning of the summer and most Democrats/media shrugged it off as mostly peaceful https://t.co/1zvsLVRuQc

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 6, 2021

When the left rioted in DC, burning and looting the nation's capital, and injuring Secret Service agents, they were rewarded with getting "Black Lives Matter" written on the street and having a plaza named in their honor. pic.twitter.com/vhpG4ja5Sz

— Dan Gainor, BA, MA, MBA (@dangainor) January 6, 2021

Let’s also remember that, unlike how Republicans immediately condemned what happened today, Democratic “leaders” only began condemning the Antifa/BLM violence in September (months after it started) when they realized how not doing so was impacting their side’s polling numbers. Like clockwork, after Democrats began lining up to claim they were against rioting, looting, etc., the media jumped on the bandwagon, too – and for the same reasons.

Some on the right on Twitter today were calling these comparisons unhelpful “whataboutism”, but I beg to differ:

It's not "whataboutism" to point out that Antifa/BLM rioters spent months burning cities without being punished for it, which some obviously saw and thought "if they can do it, so can I", Jerry. That's not rationalizing or excusing what's happening today. It's just a fact. https://t.co/1AnhokPnGu

— Sister Toldjah, VP of BS Detection 😁 (@sistertoldjah) January 6, 2021

And then there was this, which happened shortly after the election:

pic.twitter.com/UhGKHuwY4B

— WheelmanForHire (@WheelmanForHire) January 6, 2021

I could go on and on, but I think the point has been made. It is not “excusing” nor “rationalizing” nor “supporting” what unfolded today to point out these inconvenient truths about the left and the media.

The media’s/left’s moralizing and preaching about how Republicans like Sen. Ted Cruz supposedly “incited” what happened today should be rejected outright. The media and Democrats hold no moral high ground whatsoever when it comes to the alleged incitement of angry protesters. None whatsoever.

They played a significant role in laying the groundwork for agitators on both the left and right to feel as though they could proclaim to be “justified” in their actions, so much so that the pearl-clutching from Beltway reporters and Democrat politicos at this point rings rather hollow.