We must Stop supporting an Insurrectionist!

By Tyler Merbler from USA - DSC09156, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=98780310

Violence is not how we solve problems in a Democracy based on "the rule of law". I am speaking up because I do not want to see people hurt, and I do not want to live with the guilt of knowing that I saw what was happening, but  didn't speak up. Let's take a closer look at the events of the last couple of weeks.

Voter Fraud

• I was shocked when I listened to part of the recording of Trump's hour long phone call with Brad Raffensperger, Georgia's Secretary of State. I heard our president pressuring the Secretary of State to be a "loyal" Republican and "find" him votes, so he could overturn the Presidential election results.  I thought, now the people will see that the only documented "voter fraud" has been Trump's own actions. 

• When confronted with his illegal actions, Trump simply diverted attention from himself by stating that the Georgia Secretary of State did not reply to his accusations of voter fraud within his state which Brad Raffensperger had already disproved three times. Amazingly, many people were quickly pointing their fingers at Brad Raffensperger instead of holding Trump accountable for his actions.

Participating in an Insurrection does not make you a "Noble Patriot"

Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick who was killed in the January 6, 2021 Capitol Riot

Can you can look in the eyes of this man's family and those of the other four people who died during the insurrection at the Capitol building, and say that you will continue to support the person who is responsible for their deaths?

Trump incited a riot, allowed the rioters to vandalize the Capitol Building for three hours, threatened the leaders of Congress whom we elected, allowed the security of our nation to be breached, tried to "steal" the election by attempting to force the Attorney General of Georgia to illegally change votes, and is now encouraging "rallies" on, or before, inauguration day at government offices in all 50 states. Trump's actions are all documented. You can watch or listen to them online.

Realizing that their media platform was being used by an insurrectionist in an attempt to unlawfully seize the government of the United States, the social media stood up to Trump by refusing to allow their platform to continue to used to enable him. 

Trump is now diverting attention from his crimes by inciting a fear of "Socialism". He is calling people to "defend OUR right for free speech" assuring them that, like the 1776 patriots, they are fighting for a "noble cause". My freedom of speech has not been taken away, but then I'm not an insurrectionist!

 

Watching for Red Flags

I think most of us are trying desperately to sort out all that we have seen and heard about the January 6, 2021 riot at our nation's Capitol building. I'm getting past the shock and the feeling that this couldn't have happened in our country, to a sad acceptance that it really did.  Deep down though, I sense that it should never have happened and that something is seriously wrong. 

This is why that today I'm looking for "Red Flags". Were there warning signs that I should have seen, but I didn't? One of the biggest "red flags" that I know about is propaganda. This a when someone tries to get and keep people just reacting emotionally. The goal is to keep the people from  logically questioning what he is saying, so he can manipulate them into doing what he wants. I think of it like us standing in an ocean of emotion. We are ok though because we have our feet firmly planted on the bottom, but if someone comes by who convinces us to lift up our feet and just float, we lose control of our own lives. This other person can now, with a only a slight effort, push us around in this sea of emotion and easily lead us to places we never wanted to go. In recent times, this has happened to the people of Germany, Italy and Russia. Could this be happening here?

A Different Perspective on the Capitol Riot

I'm writing this for all of you who are feeling like I am - confused, shocked, and overwhelmed by all the information there is to process about the Capitol rioting on January 6, 2021. Here is what I do to help me see what is really happening. I start out by simplifying. Our Savior said, "By their fruits ye shall know them". This is where I start. I look just at the action, at what actually happened. The problem is that as a human being that is hard to do. I do have feelings, reactions, and past experiences which can so clutter my view and divert me onto other tracks that I can easily miss what the real issue is. 

Here is my thought process as I try to get a clearer view of what happened at the Capitol a few days ago (doesn't it seem longer!). I take Trump out of the picture. Yes, I know he was there and that is part of reality, but stay with me. Next, I thought of some Terrorist group and put them in the picture instead. The Al-Qaeda who attacked the twin towers in 9/11 was the group I chose. Now, I play the action and see what it looks like. This is what I saw. On some of it you will need to use a lot of imagination.

Why are people still supporting Trump?

 

I am feeling confused and concerned today. So many things just don't make sense. Why are people simply believing all that Trump says? Why aren't they asking questions and getting the answers they deserve? Here are some of the questions I think need answers.

• Our President just incited a mob of people to "stop the steal" by marching on the Capitol building with the intent to disrupt the Constitutionally required certification process by Congress. Though most people do not approve of the violence, why are many of his supporters still excusing Trump's actions? They defend him saying that he was "defending freedom and right". Does that really make his actions "all right"?
• If the protesting group had been a Black Rights, Women's Rights, or Latino Rights, would this behavior still be "justified"?