Buzzing nonstop
When inmates are released from federal prison, the Justice Department places a call to their victims, notifying them that the defendant who attacked them is now free. On Tuesday, the phones of U.S. Capitol Police and D.C. police officers were buzzing nonstop.
For Aquilino A. Gonell, a former Capitol Police sergeant, the automated calls began on Monday evening and continued into Tuesday morning after President Trump issued a sweeping legal reprieve to all of the nearly 1,600 defendants, including those convicted of violent crimes, in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Between 7:03 a.m. and 9:37 a.m., Mr. Gonell received nine calls from the Justice Department about the release of inmates.
Mr. Gonell, who was assaulted during the attack and retired because of the injuries he suffered, was as outraged and distraught as he was shortly after the violence.
How nice of Trump to pay exactly zero attention to the victims.
More than 150 police officers from the two agencies were injured during the assault on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob four years ago. Some were hit in the head with baseball bats, flagpoles and pipes. One lost consciousness after rioters used a metal barrier to push her down as they marched to the building.
Now many of those officers described themselves as struggling and depressed in response to Mr. Trump freeing their attackers.
I’m struggling and depressed right now too.
In the days and weeks after the riot, several police officers at the Capitol on Jan. 6 died, including Officer Brian D. Sicknick of the Capitol Police, who was attacked by the mob, suffered a stroke and died of natural causes on Jan. 7. Officers Jeffrey Smith of Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department and Howard S. Liebengood of the Capitol Police died by suicide in the days after the violence.
…
Senator John Thune, the South Dakota Republican and majority leader, sidestepped questions on Tuesday about whether Mr. Trump acted properly in pardoning the rioters.
“We’re looking at the future, not the past,” said Mr. Thune, who called the pardons “the president’s decision.” He added, “We know the presidential pardon authority was expanded in a massive way by President Biden, and obviously we knew all along President Trump can exercise it like most presidents have, and he did.”
“We’re looking at the future, not the past,” he says, and proceeds to whine about Biden.
Well, but victims are LOSERS!, and therefore of no consequence.
That whole line of thought is funny, in a sick way, as I contemplate members of my family who voted for Trump, in spite of being disabled, unemployed, and on food stamps. To Trump, they are LOSERS! and they stand to lose everything from the actions he is taking. They think these actions are good. They think (at least some of them) that the only reason they can’t find a job is that they are not black and/or female. Strange how the other white male members of my family can find jobs without being black and/or female.
Yes, but the graver sin is that these officers injured by the rioters were standing in the way of what Trump wanted. The rioters were for Trump, so they were the good guys. As long as they were working on his behalf, they could do no wrong, and did no wrong. Being on Trump’s side trumps being a police officer. Or Vice President. Has anyone told Vance to watch his back?
iknklast is partially right about “victims being losers”, but there is a bigger issue in play here.
These people were not losers, they were winners. Winners because they stood firm against a Trump inspired attempted coup. Winners because they put themselves on the line to protect Senators and staff from a violent insurrection.
And that, in Trump’s eyes, makes them traitors who must be punished, and as the law doesn’t currently allow him to punish them, he will let loose his dogs of war.
When America is no longer “The shining light on the hill” (if it ever was), don’t blame Trump and the GOP or those like ikinklast’s family members, put the blame squarely where it belongs on the lily livered weak kneed Democrats who put their own sinecures before country. They failed in their one job, to protect the Republic.
Biden could have, but chose not to, grant a Presidential Medal of Freedom to any of those brave souls, instead he chose to reward a Pope, a Transactivist, and a dead tech entrepreneur.
Why, he could have even followed the British Example when as a recognition of sacrifice during WW2, the George Cross was awarded to Malta, and for recognition of their standing between the Orange and the Green, it was awarded to the Royal Ulster Constabulary in 1999.
Rev, while I agree with almost everything you said, I have to take issue with one thing. It’s all right to take issue with the Dems failing to take strong measures to protect the Republic. I felt they should have done more, and have been quite disappointed, but I am also aware of the cost of doing more, so I’m torn, but yes, they should have at the very least given out the awards you mention. Make them heroes, instead of turning someone into a hero for having their breasts cut off or their penis removed.
My one issue is the thing of don’t take issue with the voters who voted for Trump. Yes, we must blame them. They are as responsible for their actions as the Democrats, and more responsible for Trump. Some of my family members are awful people (I know, but it has to be said), and their voting for Trump was specifically for the purpose of destroying what few things are good about this country. They WANT the people of color out of their schools, shops, churches, preferably out of existence, but hey, they’ll be tolerant if they just ‘learn their place’. They WANT lesbians and gays to be forced back into the closet, to be prevented from teaching or taking any other position that might bring them into contact with people. They WANT women to be barefoot and pregnant.
So, yeah, blame the Democrats for what they didn’t do. That’s quite legitimate. But please, blame the voters for what they did do – elect Trump.
[…] a comment by Rev David Brindley on Buzzing […]
One of The Bulwark guys wrote something along the lines of “an act of self-mutilation inflicted by a bored and decadent public”… Seems accurate… Guarantee some of the people that voted for the prick have exactly the sort of birthright citizenship he’s trying to take away, but they’ll have assumed he didn’t really mean it.