The Call Is Coming From Inside the House
Part I – Who I Am / What We Should Do About It
In the days since I first shared this essay, something unexpected has happened — it’s reached tens of thousands of people. That’s been both surreal and humbling.
Many have expressed frustrations with the Book of Face — and I share them. My original post isn’t easy to find anymore; it’s only accessible through unconventional means. It doesn’t even appear on my own page, and I can’t locate it directly.
So while I’m grateful that it’s reached so many people, I’m reposting it here in a more stable format. To make it more accessible, I’ve divided it into four parts.
As this piece has circulated, two questions have come up more than any others:
What qualifies me to share this information?
What do I think we should do about it?
In response, I’ve reworked the essay — partly for platform requirements, partly for readability…and partly to answer those two questions directly. That’s what this first part has become. Here’s the breakdown:
Part I (what you’re reading now) is an introduction — who I am, what we should do about it
Parts II and III together form the original viral essay — my breakdown of the Speaker’s unprecedented actions and the deeper structural consequences (for those of you who want to skip ahead to the meaty part).
Part IV is my reflection after the viral response — what I learned about the public, the trolls, and the hope that remains.
I’ve also edited this series for content and clarity. If you notice an idea or concept that appears more than once, it’s because it connects to a new point rather than repeating an old one. Each recurrence serves a different purpose — the threads overlap intentionally.
First, about my qualifications to speak on this:
Who Am I?
I’m an American, just like anyone else, and I care deeply about my country.
I have respect for history and for the lessons it can teach us.
I’ve also learned how easily truth can be distorted and subverted in this digital age.
And I have been paying attention.
Of course, I have a perspective that’s uniquely my own. You might not share it, and that’s okay.
But regardless of my opinions, I’ve worked very hard to include only facts in what I’ve written — and a fact can’t be spun. A fact simply is.
This essay is built on those facts, interpreted through the lens of history, observation, and hard-won awareness.
I’m also human, so I might’ve gotten something wrong. If that’s the case, please reach out, and I’ll look into it and update accordingly.
(See the section on pro-forma sessions.)
My goal isn’t to be right — it’s to be aware.
Because those acting in bad faith succeed only when the rest of us aren’t paying attention.
What We Should Do About It
Well, someone mentioned that new rule that caused Kevin McCarthy to vacate the position — something I hadn’t initially considered, but something I think our representatives should.
But beyond that—
There is not a rule written on a piece of paper that must forever be so.
I’ve learned, watching this era of selective law enforcement, that law means nothing unless there’s a human being of character and integrity there to uphold it.
People wrote the Constitution, and people can change the Constitution.
This is not their country.
This is our country.
We have granted them the privilege of representing us — not ruling us.
This nation was built by the people, for the people, and of the people.
No one is coming to save us.
The people made this country.
The people can change this country.
In fact, at this point, only the people can change this country.
Make no mistake: I’m not advocating violence.
I’m a pacifist by conviction — a believer in the power of good trouble and in the long lineage of peaceful protest that carved every freedom we now hold dear.
But imagine — truly imagine — if every peaceful protester in America descended upon Washington, D.C., and simply refused to be moved until they were heard.
That, too, is power.
That, too, is patriotism.
There are countless ways to make the world a better place.
Anyone who insists that the only way forward is by using only the tools and methods that we’ve used before is not thinking big enough — and is certainly not living in the present moment.
If the roads we once took no longer lead where we need to go,
then we, the people, must build new roads.
The only way any of us can be held hostage in our own country is if we let it happen.
We are America.
And if they are misrepresenting us,
we can change that.
I pray enough of us remember that soon.
This essay is Part I of IV in The Call Is Coming From Inside the House, a series by Tonoccus McClain.
The Call Is Coming From Inside the House — a four-part series by Tonoccus McClain
I (Substack | Facebook) • II (Substack | Facebook) • III (Substack | Facebook) • IV (Substack | Facebook)