RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: WORLD DEMOCRACY
Storming of the People’s House
The people of Paris stormed the Bastille
14 July 1789 to overthrow a despotic
government. A monarchy, an aristocracy,
hereditary succession, a royal king.
In Washington the people stormed congress
6 January 2021 to overthrow an elected
president, to install a monarchy, hereditary
succession, an aristocratic king.
The storming of the Bastille toppled the
king, introduced the guillotine and begat
the Reign of Terror, a river of blood that
swallowed its leader: Maximilien
Robespierre.
The storming of the people’s house fell
short of its goal, dozens of instigators
captured and jailed while its leader went
free, opening the door to a period of
uncertainty and the promise of revenge.
The storming of the Bastille was a turning
point in history; one by one the monarchs
fell, replaced by elected governments,
representative democracies that shined
from Europe to across the sea.
The storming of the people’s house is an
unfinished story: a defense of democracy
or its tragic fall? A period of unrest or a
reign of terror? For better or for worse,
let the people decide.
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