Terrorists storm US Capitol building; DC National Guard activated

[Phishfan]

I agree with a lot of what Maine says but Hoodie has points also. The lack of preparation from the top put the guys on the ground in a no win spot. If there was enough of a show of force from the start it is a lot easier situation than waiting for backup while outnumbered.
Much easier to stand your ground initially than to try to recapture it. I'm just glad things didn't get worse yesterday.

[Sunstroke]

^^^ And BLM protested because they were tired of getting shot by law enforcement, while the Trumpians protested because their hero couldn't admit that he lost and created crazy conspiracy theories to get them riled up.

These are not equally compelling reasons for a protest.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I guess I'm still confused with Hoodie telling me "I'm the problem."  I find this, frankly, to be a scumbag comment.

I'll say again; I find it ironic when BLM marched on the city the people in charge had it decked.  Why, for what reasons?  But when Trump's supporters descended on the city not only was the city NOT ready for this, they were slow to react.  BLM marchers would not have been able to get close to the Capitol building if they tried.  Trumps made it into the Congressional hall?  Sat in Pence's seat, taking selfies?  Carried around confederate flags? If that isn't privilege, I don't know what is.

Okay then you understand.  Note the word “if” in my statement.

The difference between Jan 6 and June 1 is black and white.  *IF* you can’t see that then you are the problem. 

[Dave Gray]

I guess I'm still confused with Hoodie telling me "I'm the problem."  I find this, frankly, to be a scumbag comment.

He's saying that if you can't tell that the difference between those two situations stems from race, then you (or one who doesn't see that) is part of the problem.

[Sunstroke]

Since it goes along with the thread, and I post on Facebook so infrequently... Here is my post this morning about what happened to me while the DC insurrection was happening yesterday:

Still trying to get a grip on what went down yesterday...not in DC, but in West Boca Raton, Florida. I stopped in a Dunkin Donuts on the way home to get an iced coffee, which is pretty much standard for me during the week. I walked in, and the TV on the wall has CBS or NBC's coverage of the DC madness. Standing there, watching the TV, was a Broward County deputy, in full uniform. He had a look on his face that I  construed to be some sort of mix of anger and disappointment.

I was, at the very least, half wrong in that assessment...

I decided to be polite and social and say something to the deputy, so I looked at him and said "Did you ever think, in our lifetime, we'd see armed Americans storming the Capitol?"

To say I was shocked by his response would be doing a disservice to anything that has ever shocked anybody, anywhere...ever. He looked at me, his voice dropped into a semi-growl and he said...

"It's about goddamn time."

At this moment, I realized how dangerous a minefield I had inadvertently wandered into. Not only was he not shocked by the lawlessness, but he was in full support of what I considered to be armed insurrection and treason. So, basically, my political diametric opposite, but with a gun and a badge.

Normally, when someone says something to me, I have multiple responses ready immediately. That was not the case yesterday. After staring at him for a full 3 seconds, I simply said "Really? Well, I can certainly respect your opinion." I then walked up to the counter and placed my order.

The deputy didn't say another word, just stared at the TV on the wall for another minute or so until they had his order ready, and then he left.

Really not sure how I feel about that incident...disappointed? A little confused? Perhaps a little angry?  Still working that out, I guess...

[CF DolFan]

You guys really need to get away from the TVs. Like Maine said it is very suspect these extremists basically just waltzed in. Almost like it was meant to happen.

As well BLM extremists have burned many cities and taken over government buildings with no resistance. I don’t give a rats ass why you do something illegal it’s a crime. In my personal opinion in this day and time if the media is reporting it or a politician is saying it then we are being manipulated. I have little faith in our republic these days.

Btw ... just as the stimulus bill shows it isn’t the down and out poor people getting our money. It’s the foreign interests who are making our politicians rich that are getting our money and both Republicans and Democrats are dirty as hell.

[CF DolFan]

Since it goes along with the thread, and I post on Facebook so infrequently... Here is my post this morning about what happened to me while the DC insurrection was happening yesterday:

Still trying to get a grip on what went down yesterday...not in DC, but in West Boca Raton, Florida. I stopped in a Dunkin Donuts on the way home to get an iced coffee, which is pretty much standard for me during the week. I walked in, and the TV on the wall has CBS or NBC's coverage of the DC madness. Standing there, watching the TV, was a Broward County deputy, in full uniform. He had a look on his face that I  construed to be some sort of mix of anger and disappointment.

I was, at the very least, half wrong in that assessment...

I decided to be polite and social and say something to the deputy, so I looked at him and said "Did you ever think, in our lifetime, we'd see armed Americans storming the Capitol?"

To say I was shocked by his response would be doing a disservice to anything that has ever shocked anybody, anywhere...ever. He looked at me, his voice dropped into a semi-growl and he said...

"It's about goddamn time."

At this moment, I realized how dangerous a minefield I had inadvertently wandered into. Not only was he not shocked by the lawlessness, but he was in full support of what I considered to be armed insurrection and treason. So, basically, my political diametric opposite, but with a gun and a badge.

Normally, when someone says something to me, I have multiple responses ready immediately. That was not the case yesterday. After staring at him for a full 3 seconds, I simply said "Really? Well, I can certainly respect your opinion." I then walked up to the counter and placed my order.

The deputy didn't say another word, just stared at the TV on the wall for another minute or so until they had his order ready, and then he left.

Really not sure how I feel about that incident...disappointed? A little confused? Perhaps a little angry?  Still working that out, I guess...

I can’t say for sure but I do have a ton of law enforcement friends so I’ll give it a try. I’m just guessing he’s been attacked so much in the last few years that he has lost all respect for our politicians. These men and women have endured quite a lot and had to bite their tongues.

[Sunstroke]

^^^ Perhaps continuing to bite his tongue, at least while talking to a complete stranger civilian in a public place, might have been a better...or more professional choice. I certainly did not come away with more respect for law enforcement.

...but I do have a ton of law enforcement friends

Would a ton of law enforcement officials be 5 really fat people, or a dozen smaller ones?

[Spider-Dan]

You guys really need to get away from the TVs. Like Maine said it is very suspect these extremists basically just waltzed in. Almost like it was meant to happen.

Then get ready for this twist: what if the guy who is responsible for providing a large force to suppress such a riot (like the force that we already saw back in June when black people were protesting police brutality) is actually the same guy who SENT that mob there in the first place, specifically and explicitly to prevent Congress from counting the Electoral College votes that will confirm his successor?

It's almost like yesterday wasn't an accident!

As well BLM extremists have burned many cities and taken over government buildings with no resistance.

Feel free to share pictures of BLM rioters with their feet up on some governor's desk after taking over the state capitol, because I can't find one.

As I mentioned before, we already have an existing apples-to-apples comparison here: the legions of troopers in full riot gear in the Capitol mall back in June when BLM was protesting, vs. the "suspiciously small" law enforcement presence yesterday.

[Spider-Dan]

Just in case anyone doesn't appreciate how close we came yesterday to becoming a dictatorship:

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/06/politics/pence-national-guard/index.html

tl;dr:  As the situation escalated, Congress contacted the Dept. of Defense and requested the DC National Guard to be deployed. DoD declined, ostensibly under orders.  Pence contacted DoD and instructed them to deploy the National Guard (to be clear: the Vice President does not have this power) and military leadership elected to side with Pence and Congress over the President.  This was a legitimate coup attempt, executed by the head of our government.

Heads.
Spikes.
Walls.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Just in case anyone doesn't appreciate how close we came yesterday to becoming a dictatorship:

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/06/politics/pence-national-guard/index.html

tl;dr:  As the situation escalated, Congress contacted the Dept. of Defense and requested the DC National Guard to be deployed. DoD declined, ostensibly under orders.  Pence contacted DoD and instructed them to deploy the National Guard (to be clear: the Vice President does not have this power) and military leadership elected to side with Pence and Congress over the President.  This was a legitimate coup attempt, executed by the head of our government.

Heads.
Spikes.
Walls.

In more ways than one.  When the DOD creased taking orders from the CIC and started taking orders from the VP there was by the very definition a coup. 

[suck for luck]

I knew this liberal circle jerk would be especially good. Thanks, you guys never let me down.

[CF DolFan]

Then get ready for this twist: what if the guy who is responsible for providing a large force to suppress such a riot (like the force that we already saw back in June when black people were protesting police brutality) is actually the same guy who SENT that mob there in the first place, specifically and explicitly to prevent Congress from counting the Electoral College votes that will confirm his successor?

It's almost like yesterday wasn't an accident!
Feel free to share pictures of BLM rioters with their feet up on some governor's desk after taking over the state capitol, because I can't find one.

As I mentioned before, we already have an existing apples-to-apples comparison here: the legions of troopers in full riot gear in the Capitol mall back in June when BLM was protesting, vs. the "suspiciously small" law enforcement presence yesterday.

Seriously? You are arguing semantics about something this serious? That’s why it’s pointless to discuss anything with many of you guys.  Even with the internet censorship you know you will find hundreds of images of burning Gov and public buildings. In fact you will find compete police dept takeovers where people were killed weekly but yet police were kept out so as not to incite the “protestors”. They are all extremist criminals. I don’t give a crap who they vote for.

[Spider-Dan]

The guy equating a Minneapolis precinct police station with the literal seat of our federal government accuses me of "arguing semantics."  Cute.

It's crystal clear that there is literally nothing that Trump could do to cause him to lose your support.  You and yours will make any excuse necessary to rationalize or downplay anything he does.  You're fine with whatever it takes to stay in power, votes be damned.

The irony is that for all of y'all's bleating about how the 2nd Amendment is needed to prevent tyranny, yesterday proved that I was right to say it's irrelevant.  If you're a white right-winger, police will remove the barricades to let you in and take selfies with you, as you invade the Capitol and elected representatives are hiding under tables fearful for their lives.  And you didn't need a single gun to do it!

Meanwhile, putting a pistol in the hand of a BLM protestor won't do a damn thing when there are tanks rolling down the streets.

[fyo]

Regarding the police response:

There are some videos appearing to show people being let through barricades, but a lot of context is missing and at least for the most popular one the guy who shot the video says that the crowd basically pushed their way through (as opposed to being let through). We also don't know what orders were handed down, how the officers were briefed etc.

I've seen very little in the videos that really points to any specific failures by the officers on the ground. There were plenty of failures in the overall response, but the distinction is, IMHO, critical. The officers inside protecting those who hadn't been evacuated have, by all accounts, acted very professionally and courageously under extreme pressure. Short videos don't show the whole picture and while it would have been the only sensible thing to have hundreds of well-armed officers / guardsmen stationed outside the Capitol, that is not a decision that can be made by the officers on the ground. They had to live with and navigate the situation they were put in by their superiors. Nothing egregious stands out in any of the footage I've seen regarding their conduct.

The leadership, however, was disastrous. Aside from the obvious 20/20 hind-sight, there were a ton of warnings, including from current and former intelligence officials, and the Capitol Police reportedly rejected at least two offers of assistance - one from the Pentagon offering National Guard manpower in the days leading up to the (legally) announced demonstration and one from the FBI as the demonstration turned mob and descended on the Capitol.

I have a reasonable amount of confidence (perhaps naively) that the truth, whatever it is, about these decisions will come out in the days, weeks, and months ahead, but such an investigation takes time and while we should certainly hold leaders accountable, we should refrain from condemning the officers and other responders. Last I heard, 15 officers were hospitalized following the attack, 1 of whom died, and as many as 60 sustained injuries.

While holding our leaders accountable, let's also appreciate the job these people did under very difficult circumstances.