Reflections From Afar On the Present Times Over Here

On January 7, Tim Simmons, a 1981 Roseau High School graduate, was reached by cellphone near Madrid, Spain.

"We watched the news last night. And when I woke up this morning, I watched Congress make the final vote. We have the same information as you have."

Any reactions from your Spanish friends?

"People are pretty surprised because they don't expect that from the U.S. They don't expect to see people trashing the Capitol like that. They expect that from a banana republic somewhere."

He remarked that Europeans are concerned.

"It's like, 'Holy Cow! If this can happen in Washington, where's the s...