Courtesy of Bastrop Advertiser
Jan. 14, 2021
By Bill McCann
My first writing job after college in 1964 was in Washington, D.C. The first place I visited was the U.S. Capitol, the seat of our democratic republic. I stood in the Rotunda, mesmerized by the priceless works of art, marveling at the grandeur of the place, and fascinated by its rich history. It gave me goosebumps.
A decade later I was back in Washington and subsequently spent many days at the Capitol, often using the labyrinth of tunnels to attend congressional hearings or interview a member of Congress or committee staff. Next to the Lincoln Memorial, the Capitol was my favorite place to visit or take visitors.
No wonder I was so outraged last week by the insurrection by rioters who ransacked the Capitol with complicity by President Donald Trump, his congressional enablers, and the conspiratorial right-wing media. Seeing the Confederate battle flag, a white-supremacy symbol, hauled through the hallowed halls by fake “patriots,” was particularly sickening.
Home-grown terrorists broke windows and furniture, trashed offices, stole laptops, and forced frightened members of Congress and staff into hiding. Four protesters died. One was shot by police and three suffered medical emergencies. Later a Capitol Police officer also died of injuries suffered in the melee.
Trump repeatedly incited his brainwashed MAGA followers with lies about being cheated out of victory, while one judge after another – including Trump-appointed judges – dismissed the false election-fraud conspiracies. Trump summoned supporters to Washington to a “wild” protest, urged them to fight, and they did, Reuters reported.
At a rally Trump held shortly before Congress prepared to conduct a largely ceremonial session at the Capitol to certify Electoral College votes and seal President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, Trump directed his mostly maskless supporters to march on the Capitol. He called them “very special people” and “patriots.” They aren’t patriots. They are what an acquaintance calls Banana Republicans. And that goes for political hacks like Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who helped disrupt the certification by falsely alleging election fraud, while his campaign used his antics to solicit contributions.
Right-wing conspiracy mongers quickly tried to deflect blame for the riot to a favorite scapegoat, the anti-fascists, or “antifa.” The FBI said there was no indication of antifa involvement. PolitiFact fact-checkers also found no proof that antifa activists infiltrated the crowd. One man wearing face paint and a horned fur cap was accused of being antifa, but is a well-known Trump supporter, PolitiFact reported.
The woman who was shot and killed by police as rioters tried to break into the Speaker’s Lobby was a fervent Trump supporter, according to news accounts. Another man, who was arrested after a photo showed him sitting with his feet on the desk of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, defended white nationalism on Facebook, the Washington Post reported. Others identified in photos included an insurance executive; a brokerage agent; firefighter; a Bexar County, Texas, sheriff lieutenant; and a West Virginia GOP state lawmaker, the Post reported.
ProPublica and PBS-Frontline jointly reported that far-right Trump supporters raged about the election for weeks on social media and openly discussed violence at the Capitol. Subsequent social media posts have signaled the threat of more violence ahead.
The relatively restrained response by Capitol Police to the mostly white rioters, by the way, was in sharp contrast to the heavy-handed response by law enforcement in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere to mostly peaceful Black Lives Matter protests last summer.
All Americans should be deeply offended by last week’s insurrection. We should never forget it. We should do everything possible as good citizens to keep it from happening again. Meanwhile, a poll by YouGov after the riot found that 45% of Republican voters polled supported the Capitol attack. Banana Republicans.
