Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Perspectives on the Assault on the Capitol
Townhall.com ^ | January 7, 2021 | Terry Paulson

Posted on 01/07/2021 9:11:20 AM PST by Kaslin

The Capitol riot will hurt the people who were already hurting most, the decent rally goers continually ignored and smeared, now saddled with the baggage of violence they did not commit.


WASHINGTON D.C. — As protesters marched from the president’s speech to the Capitol on Wednesday, making the scenic journey down Constitution Avenue, I met a mild-mannered woman from the same small corner of Wisconsin in which I grew up. She’d never voted before Donald Trump ran for president. She traveled to the capital because she loves the president.

Not long after our conversation, hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol. They climbed the walls, pushed past police, and roamed the halls, destroying property and taking selfies. A 14-year Air Force veteran did not leave the building alive. It was a disgraceful sight.

There are those who believe Antifa showed up to incite chaos. It’s possible such an attempt was made, but even if it was, there is simply no way around the fact that hundreds of Trump supporters broke into the Capitol.

Thousands more chose not to participate, leaving early or watching from a distance. From my vantage point on the east side of the Capitol, I saw genuine Trump supporters rushing up a staircase by the dozens, until the crowd was too dense to move. I saw a few urinate on trees just outside the building, barely shielded from women in the crowd.

I saw them climbing up the wall. Some chanted “Whose house? Our house.” Some chanted, “Do your job!” Antifa may have mixed into the fray, but to accurately diagnose this deep wound, it’s important to be crystal clear that Trump supporters rioted. Indeed, many were proud to do it. If you’d rather not take my word for it, there is incontrovertible video evidence.

Raw Footage From The Storming Of The Capitol

“I’ve been out talking to the protesters who busted into the Capitol,” Washington Examiner reporter Susan Ferrechio tweeted. “One thing I’m hearing: They believed they had a right to be in a public building and did not expect cops to block their access (some were allowed in!) A subset of this group, they said, got out of control.”

And so the blame game rages on. Rioting is the fault of rioters. But they had just been told by the president that a “landslide” election was being stolen from him.

Many people trust Donald Trump. They have been lied to by the media for years. They have been smeared as racists by elites and peers alike. With no other sources to turn to, they turn to the man who seems to hear them. He took advantage of that to lessen the blow of a narrow reelection loss.

Federalist Report Amid Chaos Outside Capitol Building>

Love him or hate him, it turns out Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., was right last week when he argued “[t]he president and his allies are playing with fire.” No senator believes Donald Trump defeated Joe Biden in a “landslide.” Many do, however, believe (and with good reason) that election irregularities occurred on a wider-than-acceptable scale.

The people I spoke to today, most of whom were at a total loss for who to trust in the media, believe the president. He told them a “landslide” win was being stolen. That would be a crisis. They acted as such. What did he expect?

For years now, Republicans have been pressed daily to strike a delicate balance, ignoring bad tweets to maintain a working relationship with a president beloved by many of their constituents. They had a reasonable argument for doing that. It pushed them to be more responsive to disenfranchised working-class voters. It gave them a seat at the table. But in the waning days of Trump’s tenure, one of the worst-case scenarios of a loose-lipped president came to pass.

Some lawmakers and pundits will use it as an excuse to be more openly critical. Reasonable Conservatives will trip over themselves to prove their reasonableness. Some will continue with their fealty and others will pretend they never did.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: assaultoncapitol; capitol; capitolriot; capitolriots; donaldtrump; rioting; riots; trumpsupporters; violence; washdcrally; washingtondc
More in the link
1 posted on 01/07/2021 9:11:20 AM PST by Kaslin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Nobody took us seriously yesterday.


2 posted on 01/07/2021 9:13:41 AM PST by conservativeimage (I’d rather die a free spirit than enter into heaven without a soul.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

What riot?


3 posted on 01/07/2021 9:16:51 AM PST by Pikachu_Dad ("the media are selling you a line of soap)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

“There are those who believe Antifa showed up to incite chaos. It’s possible such an attempt was made, but even if it was, there is simply no way around the fact that hundreds of Trump supporters broke into the Capitol.”

If it was Trump supporters that broke into the Capitol, they only did so because they were incited Antifa.


4 posted on 01/07/2021 9:17:02 AM PST by Meatspace
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Other than the stupid police, I’ve seen more violence at a kids basketball game.


5 posted on 01/07/2021 9:21:14 AM PST by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer”)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin
From the article:

The Capitol riot will hurt the people who were already hurting most, the decent rally goers continually ignored and smeared, now saddled with the baggage of violence they did not commit.

Funny thing, I don't see where any "decent leftard rallygoers" who have been continually ignored have ever been saddled with the baggage of violence committed by BLM and Antifa that they did not commit. Have you?

6 posted on 01/07/2021 9:22:07 AM PST by 4Runner
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 4Runner
Does anyone remember Sgt. "ole shoe" Schumann from "Wag The Dog" ?
Ashli was supposed to die

From me; The Murder Of Ashli Babbit

From my friend, Frank Welch

She was escorted to the killing fields by no less than 5 uniformed/ ARMED Capitol Police and they were all within 10 ft of her when she was shot.

One raised his gun to address the sound of gunshots but he failed to return any fire.(?)

The Capitol Police were right there.

Why was she shot by one person but not arrested or shot at by the Capitol Police who were right next to her while she was doing what she was doing?



7 posted on 01/07/2021 9:30:23 AM PST by knarf (The Constitution protects the right to peaceably assemble, not to protest)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

American Bastille Day.
And yes, we have our martyr.


8 posted on 01/07/2021 9:32:26 AM PST by Terry L Smith
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Meatspace
If it was Trump supporters that broke into the Capitol, they only did so because they were incited Antifa.

I've seen this before. Every time there were protests, there always seems to have leaders that show up out of nowhere and take control of the people. This was happening the early 90's in Michigan during the Tax Payers Protest.

9 posted on 01/07/2021 9:37:43 AM PST by dragonblustar (Matthew 24:10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

my take....

do you know what old time Quakers were?
they didn’t believe in violence..they wanted to live in peace and if they were peaceful, then others would be also.

that is how I see the ones who are condemning yesterday and blaming Trump..or people who have had enough.. anyone but the dem party.

peaceful Quakers who believe they can live in peace without fighting for it.

look!.. being cowards.. hiding behind religion..pretending to be nice..DOES NOT WORK..

My son some years ago.. 12 yrs old.. was being hounded by another kid.. my son had never had a fight before.. was walking home from a ballgame and the other kid kept stepping on his heels.. having enough he turned around and settled the score.. he came in the back door with blood on his jacket.. to which his mother asked what happened...
my son said, as he walked by..”not my blood.”

the republicans have let the dems have their way for way too long... my friend.. across the aisle... while the dims were crossing every line to control..

they have to be brought to their knees.. if there is enough info to hang them... BRING IT ON !


10 posted on 01/07/2021 9:38:51 AM PST by frnewsjunkie (I deel)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dragonblustar

Exactly, and when people are incited by Antifa, they have no control of their actions.


11 posted on 01/07/2021 9:53:26 AM PST by Meatspace
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: frnewsjunkie

What’s the problem? It was a mostly peaceful protest.


12 posted on 01/07/2021 9:57:01 AM PST by Robwin ( )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Robwin

whats the problem?

ya can’t win by cheating and lying and it be accepted!


13 posted on 01/07/2021 10:03:46 AM PST by frnewsjunkie (I deel)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

RUSH is doing a brilliant job today. Reinforces the pathetic GOP that we have.


14 posted on 01/07/2021 10:04:51 AM PST by 1Old Pro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

.

In the end, demlefty media (enemies of Truth) will be getting what they deserve - ending up on the ash heap of history.

Lying Propagandists do not have Journalist protections.

.


15 posted on 01/07/2021 12:39:02 PM PST by elbook
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson