Open your eyes, close your mouth and put on your thinking cap. Advice that was commonplace in the 20th century. It means look, stop talking, listen and finally use your brain. It was sound advice then and it is sound advice today.
I, like so many others in our country, am trying to understand what happened in Washington DC this week. We all should have the same questions: How did something like this happen? How is it that security at the Capitol was so ineffective that hundreds were able to successfully commit an acts of terrorism in front of the police and in front of the world at the nation’s most sacred representation of democracy, our nation’s Capitol.
How is it that all of our senators, congress men and woman, and our vice president were placed in real jeopardy as the Capitol was invaded and rooms raided by a mob whose single goal was to keep their leader,;)
their Supreme Being Donald Trump in office? How is it that Donald Trump sent them there instructing them to march to the Capitol to convince those participating in the ceremonial event to change the electoral vote to deny Joe Biden his right to be seated as the 46th President of the United States.
Many of us watched the January 6th “coup” attempt unfold in real time. We watched as the secret service quickly evacuated Vice President Pence from the house floor. We watched as terrified elected officials scurried to secure locations.
We watched as people broke windows and challenged security.
And because of cell phone video we saw with our own eyes windows being broken and watched as rioters pushed through those windows and barricaded doors. We got to see a woman shot and killed as she barged through a window. Later, we got to see the bleeding face of a murdered police officer who was beaten with fire extinguisher.
We saw a police officer running from a mob inside the capitol, we saw the Trump banners and Trump flags unfold across the Capitol. We watched rioters on the house floor, and in the halls of the Capitol, on the roof and on the steps.
The police were overwhelmed. How were they not prepared for this?
If January 6 wasn’t enough of an assault on our belief in democracy we get to hear the apologists look for excuses for the domestic terrorism activity. They say it was Antifa, it wasn’t. It was Black Lives Matter, it wasn’t. It was patriots, they weren’t. The DC police have found weapons and incendiary devices, property was destroyed, items were stolen.
We watched all of this unfold, but not alone, President Donald Trump was watching as well. This happened on his watch.
The damage to the Capitol will be repaired. The damage done to our sense of reason and morality has been irreparably harmed.
Too many people are defending the behavior of the rioters. I have participated in a number of protests. The opportunity to violate the law is always present, but those who protest are aware that illegal behavior and violence will become the message. When violence becomes the message your message is dead. American patriots won’t support violence against the peace officers doing their job or the people and institutions that represent our democracy.
If you are someone who is justifying the actions of these people, I urge you to follow the advice to open your eyes, close your mouth, put on your thinking cap and get the answer to the question, “how did this happen and who benefitted?”
Pat Biancaniello