Bad Optics
Something became clear to me that I am sure I knew even on January 6th, but that hit me more powerfully today. I was listening to coverage and accounts of the first congressional hearing on the insurrection, where the question was asked: Why weren’t the Capitol Police prepared for an armed insurrection? Why didn’t they think they should be out in full force, with back-ups at the ready, wearing at least helmets and possibly more protective gear.
The Capitol police chief’s answer was basically: “No one told us there would be a large, violent mob coming to the Capitol that day.”
The media responded to this assertion with: “How could you not have known? It was all over social media!” I remember hearing that the mayor of DC was telling everyone to stay away from the Capitol and Mall area on January 6. She had seen these same folks a few weeks before, at the Million Maga March on December 12, when they were skirmishing with police on bicycles and burning Black Lives Matter flags they ripped from churches. Lawmakers have expressed that their family members were worried about them, and some called once they got to the Capitol to say they were safely inside.
We also knew the — rally attenders? protestors? — were arriving armed. It was a major news story that the leader of the Proud Boys was arrested on arrival in DC and found to be carrying several high-capacity ammo feeding devices. We knew.
But we thought they were other than they were. Of course, racism was involved. Black people without guns or weapons beyond water bottles were met with lines of police officers in riot gear armed with tear gas and rubber bullets they deployed at the slightest verbal provocation. For being perceived as a serious threat, unarmed and marching.
Meanwhile, the Maga Marchers were seen by law enforcement, by the government, and let’s face it, by a large swath of Americans, as non-violent, non-threatening people. With guns, yes. But who had they shot — beyond shooting Black protestors, of course. What property had they destroyed — besides Black churches. They had trespassed the state capital in Michigan, hanging around on the steps armed to the teeth. They liked to show off their guns, at rallies, at protests, at speeches, wherever. It was like a piece of clothing for them, right? An accessory. Nothing to fear, particularly not for police to fear.
But something happened when the mob violently stormed the capitol. They showed what they were capable of. And now, we can see they are domestic terrorists. And even if the man with his feet on Pelosi’s desk didn’t shoot the stun gun we can see tucked into his waistband, he arrived with intentions to overturn the election, with contempt for our officials, their safety, and the democratic process, ready to do damage. Their weapons were not meaningless props. He should have been stopped. By police in riot gear with rubber bullets and tear gas in a line outside the Capitol.
Now that we know what they’re capable of — stabbing police officers with flagpoles, beating them with baseball bats, breaking windows and doors and signage, threatening lawmakers, carrying flex cuffs, planting bombs outside the DNC and RNC, maybe as a diversion — let’s be forever prepared.
And let’s not misunderstand the stack of guns on a shelf behind state representative Lauren Boebert during a government committee Zoom meeting or claims that the Second Amendment right to bear arms is an absolute right. This is not bravado, but threat. It’s time to shut it down. Yes, it does look different than it did last year. Because now we know what these groups and individuals are capable of, and we need to treat them as the danger they are.
