“These violent scenes we have witnessed do not represent acts of patriotism, but an attack on our country and its founding principles.” --Republican National Committee (RNC), Jan. 6, 2021
“(Protesters were) ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate public discourse.”- RNC, Feb. 4, 2022
Why would the RNC say one thing as we all watched the insurrection on our TV’s -- and then a year later totally reverse itself and deny what we all witnessed? Does the RNC really believe that violent rioters were justified in breaking into our sacred Capitol screaming “hang Mike Pence”? Do my Republican friends see that the RNC is being hypocritical to say the least? And that they are undercutting the very foundations of our democracy -- free elections?
But more importantly, only in the current atmosphere of extremist tribalistic politics could a clearly violent assault on our Capitol and the brave, vastly outnumbered law enforcement officers defending it be described as politically acceptable by one party. Unfortunately, it does not surprise me at all given the recent cult-like atmosphere in the GOP.
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
To put things in perspective, I get many political newsletters, from both the right and left. And I take what I read with a grain of salt, from both sides. For example, I disagree with much of what I read on the left when it comes to unfocused, untargeted government “giveaways” which obviously have negative long-term consequences.
But there is one thing that particularly annoys me about the conservative newsletters -- their constant use of the word “patriot” to describe the most-right-wing zealots. People like the violent insurrectionists who attacked the cradle of our fragile democracy on Jan. 6, 2021. It’s extremist right-wing media like this that are brainwashing normally rational people into believing the “Big Lie.” As in the falsehood that the election was stolen and any and all efforts by “patriots” to reverse the results are acceptable, no matter how ethically wrong and violent they may be.
Walter Shaub, former director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics tweeted on February 4, “Today is the day a major political party announced its support for a terrorist attack.” Shaub is correct. It was not a peaceful protest, as the RNC has retroactively declared.
Many “patriots” in the mob were violent, attacking police officers with a wide range of weapons. And 768 “patriots” have been arrested for breaking various laws that day. Of them, 200 have already pleaded guilty to federal charges. Further, 75 of them are charged with violent offenses and another 40 with conspiracy. There were 62 members of violent militia groups such as the Oath Keepers, the Proud Boys and the Three Percenters charged.
Further, as a result of the insurrection, 5 people died and 140 police officers were injured, some seriously. And 150 have resigned or retired as a result.
Does the above sound to you like “legitimate public discourse” by “patriots”? Or does it sound like a well-orchestrated plot by the mob’s organizers, spurred on by a narcistic and autocratic politician with no sense of fair play or decency, in order to overturn the results of a free and honest Presidential election?
Jack Bernard, a former health care executive, was the first director of health planning for Georgia. He’s a former chairman of the Jasper County Commission. Given events of late, he now describes himself as a former Republican.
