Ash writes: "We all watched yesterday in horror at the images of what President-Elect Joe Biden described as an insurrection at the Capital Building during the certification process for the Electoral College presidential vote totals."
US Capitol Police with guns drawn react as supporters of Donald Trump try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (photo: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The Extraordinarily Unstable Situation in Our Nation's Capital
07 January 21
e all watched yesterday in horror at the images of what President-elect Joe Biden described as an insurrection at the Capital Building during the certification process for the Electoral College presidential vote totals.
Order at the Capital Building has now been restored at least for the moment. How long that order will or can be maintained is an open question.
Never forget that this insurrection was the direct result of incitement by the President of the United States and his enablers in Congress. An incitement he continues without abatement.
The total absence of adequate security at the nation’s Capital is highly suspect. Sufficient security forces were certainly on hand nearby. Many observers noted the capacity for a threat to develop. Still, no serious precautions were taken, and the insurgents faced little or no meaningful opposition.
Suspicion must be turned on the civilian command structure of the National Guard and other relevant law enforcement agencies. It took less than 90 minutes to clear and secure the building, but it took nearly three hours for adequate security forces to arrive.
Donald Trump has tremendous power as President of the United States. He does not want to relinquish that power. We are seeing how far he and his confederates will go to hold onto power. This is an ongoing, heightened threat situation and should be taken very seriously, in the near term and going forward.
This is in large part due to a generational refusal on the part of law enforcement and many government officials to recognize and confront white terrorism and the systemic violence it generates. These people must never be coddled or appeased. They must be confronted directly and immediately as the criminals they are and as the threat to the fabric of our democracy they represent.
Donald J. Trump is now clearly guilty of treason. He must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. There is a tendency to allow things to calm down so that a return to reasonable conduct will re-emerge on its own. That will not work. This is a problem that must be confronted in direct terms.
The news on this day is not good. The time for vigilance and courage is upon us.
Marc Ash is the founder and former Executive Director of Truthout, and is now founder and Editor of Reader Supported News.
Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.
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