There’s something happening here
What is wrong that so many people believe lies and nonsensical conspiracy theories
MIKE MCDONNELL
I believe that most of us were appalled at the deplorable events in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.
There are many people in and out of government who need to answer questions about what happened.
The following are a few observations about those events:
> You are the company you keep. Whether that’s fair is not the issue nor is it your decision. If you are in the midst of a crowd of people who are waving Trump flags and wearing MAGA hats and others who are behaving illegally, you are seen to be part of that group. Even if you, in the memorable words of Mick Jagger, only “went down to the demonstration to get your fair share of abuse.”
> If you go to a peaceful demonstration with a helmet and gas mask a logical person would conclude you are up to no good.
> If you are part of a demonstration where some people break into the seat of government, force governing to stop and terrorize elected representatives and their staff, you are not part of a peaceful demonstration. You are part of a riot.
> If you ignore a curfew or the legal orders of police under such circumstances as Wednesday, you are not merely an observer. You are part of the problem. And it is not up to you to decide the legality of the order. That’s what the courts are for.
> Police are trained to be patient. If you are doing your utmost to create an incident with the police, you are, again, part of the problem.
> The fact that you have a camera phone and a social media account does not entitle you to call yourself a journalist, nor does it entitle you to the protection afforded journalists.
> Screaming abuse at actual media representatives and police makes it impossible to believe you support the notion that everyone has the right to free speech and that you are a supporter of law and order.
> A note to the media about arrests: for every arrest that is made at least one officer must leave the front line to escort that person into custody. As soon as someone is arrested, the police are responsible for that person’s well-being. If the front line is very thin, as it so clearly was on Wednesday, in order to maintain order officers cannot be spared. Except in extraordinary circumstances, arrests are not viable.
> If you managed to get yourself arrested on the Washington Mall during the wild circumstances of Wednesday late afternoon and evening you must have really crossed the line to attract the attention of the police amid the chaos. Or you’re an idiot. Maybe both.
> Any threat assessment planning that was done for Wednesday’s events was an epic fail. It is difficult to imagine how it could have been worse. By failing so badly it not only endangered the legislators they are tasked with protecting but they endangered their own officers and the protesters themselves. Make no mistake about it, as badly as protesters may be behaving, they are still entitled to the protection of the law and all that entails. If the threat assessment was influenced by politics, that’s an entirely different conversation.
And a few questions:
> What is wrong in a society that so many people believe lies, nonsensical conspiracy theories and bizarre interpretations of the law and the Constitution? Do they feel so disenfranchised due to loss of jobs and entire industries or lack of appropriate education, so left behind by societal changes such as demographics or technology that they see violent protest as the only means they have to express themselves? Or is something else driving them?
> Will the people within the government who enabled these events ever be ashamed, chastened and ready to govern instead of doing their utmost to disrupt governing? Elected officials trying to counter the results of a properly conducted election (despite someone saying it wasn’t while offering no proof ) while hiding behind the fact it is their legal right to do so, are really just playing politics. Isn’t there something terribly wrong with that?
> Is the American electoral and governmental system irretrievably broken? For instance, what is the rationale for the Electoral College? Will it ever be possible to make changes, not for the sake of change but because it’s the right thing to do?
> What can be done to ensure that such an emotionally ill-equipped, morally damaged and ethically destitute person is never again elected to such a vital position, a position that is important not only for the America’s sake, but for the world’s sake?