We started hearing from faraway friends and family around 2:30 last Wednesday afternoon. A stream of calls, texts, and emails, each expressing similar sentiments: “We are thinking of you.” “Do you live near the Capitol?” “Are you okay?” We answered reassuringly — no, we don’t live especially close to the…

Tonight, I was walking my dog, Harper, in southeast D.C. when I came across three young girls, probably no older than 10, and their mother. Two of them were carrying homemade signs with “Black Lives Matter” and “Save the Animals” written on them. They asked if they could pet Harper…