Jan 6 Committee hearings

[Martin Blank]

I've been watching the first of the new series of hearings of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, commonly called the January 6 Committee. I didn't know what to expect, and mostly hoped that they didn't do something weird or overly theatrical. While I watched some of the events unfold live on TV and was horrified, what I saw tonight was even worse. The only consolation is that I wasn't watching it live.

The video from documentary creator Nick Quested left me nauseous and on the edge of tears. The Proud Boys' desire for fame allowed him to film some very honest scenes, and in his testimony he discussed filming in December then-leader of the Proud Boys Enrique Tarrio and Oath Keepers founder James Rhodes. He wasn't close enough to catch what they were saying, but it apparently came out later that the Capitol was mentioned.

Officer Caroline Edwards's testimony of what she saw and went through, getting attacked, thrown against the stairs, blacking out, recovering, getting back up and running to the next line to defend, slipping in the blood of her colleagues, and getting hit in the face with chemicals was riveting, saddening, and enraging. Watching her have to stop to keep from breaking reminded me of the original public hearing with several Capitol Police was really difficult, but her courage to come forward and put a face to what the police went through that day was incredible.

The video of the rioters explaining their viewpoints of the time, how they came at the behest of President Trump was, in comparison, tame, but I guess it sets up the hearing on Monday. Trump got them riled up and then refused to do anything to defuse the chain of events that he'd lit until too late, when several officers were already dead, hundreds injured, and one rioter shot dead. So far, it seems he was nearly alone in thinking this was the right thing. I mean, his own daughter didn't believe the election lies.

I've listened to dozens of people say that the day's events were BLM or Antifa, that it was just a mildly disorderly group that got into the Capitol. There was nothing mildly disorderly about it. It was a full-blown riot. It was a violent event that could have crippled Congress. The things said by the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, the actions caught by the Capitol security cameras, and the footage from social media all show just what the event was: an attempt at a coup.

I've lost hope that Trump will face justice for that day. I have long argued that prosecuting the last president is a bad idea, that letting the past go is what has helped us to be the strong world leader that we are, but I sincerely hope that the Committee has turned up something that can go to the DOJ for charges. The next time, the planners will be much more careful. They'll use better communications methods, will hide their intent and numbers better, won't allow documentarians to join them. I expect that the next time, there will be many more guards around the Capitol Building, but I also worry that it will end in mass bloodshed. And I don't know what will follow if it does.

[Deacon]

“But what about…”

I think the problem is that the Republican establishment so publicly put all their eggs in Trump’s basket that they can’t step back and denounce it now. Fox News isn’t even airing the hearings, and their loyalist viewers will wait for Tucker Carlson to give them their talking points they should take to Facebook and Twitter and conversations with neighbors. Because they have to double down on the denial, too, to absolve themselves of the incredible damage their jubilant and unyielding support for very fine people on both sides has actually done to our society and our democracy, even without accounting for the true lunatics who believe every dumb conspiracy theory they’re told.

It’s insane to me that none of this matters. Unfathomable, but somehow true.

[Martin Blank]

Not only did Fox News not air it (though Fox Business did), they dropped all commercial breaks during it. They were so desperate to keep people from flipping channels to see what was going on that forgoing advertising revenue for two hours was worth it for them.

[Deacon]

Don’t worry, Tucker Carlson called the documentary video footage “propaganda” so everyone knows to pretend it doesn’t exist and attempting to overthrow democracy doesn’t hold a candle to someone spraying graffiti on a courthouse to protest racial injustice.