Wednesday Word: Foment

Since the siege on the United States Capitol building Wednesday morning, I have heard a word over and again with which I am unfamiliar:

foment

[fōˈment]

VERB fomented (past tense) · fomented (past participle)

1. instigate or stir up (an undesirable or violent sentiment or course of action). "they accused him of fomenting political unrest" synonyms: instigate · incite · provoke · agitate · excite · stir up · whip up · arouse · inspire

Peaceful protests very quickly turned to rioting, which very quickly turned into anarchy. President Trump and his supporters have claimed fraud in the election results since November, and have called for and encouraged supporters to fight the results. In all instances, there is no evidence of tampering or fraud. Every court asked to review voting process and procedure has found absolutely no basis for overturning any of the results.

And yet, Trump and his supporters continue to decry the results. The actions today were not a surprise to anyone, with the possible exception of law enforcement, who were undermanned, unprepared, and seemingly caught completely off guard. This, in stark contrast to the law enforcement preparation for the Black Lives Matter protests, where officers were staggered on the steps en masse, wearing riot gear.

Members of our government on both sides are to blame for fomenting the unrest. During BLM protests, which turned into rioting, looting, and destruction, those on the left were calling for unrest, demonstration, and encouraging people to not let up on the pressure, regardless of the manner in which it took. Just like Wednesday, when those on the right continued to stoke the flames of voter fraud, an illegitimate President-Elect, and taking to social media to urge the "patriots" to continue to capture center stage with their cries of "stop the steal".

Basically, the American people right now are in a terrible custody battle. We are the children of warring parents who do not hesitate to use us as weapons against one another. The hatred and vitriol are obvious, the fighting incessant, and the stress at an unsustainable level. The manipulation of the American people by those we placed in office is as blatant as it is calculated. And we continue to do their bidding. It's time for Americans to stop being pawns, and demand that Washington move forward to create a united country, as opposed to this tug-of-war to tear apart the opposition.