Surprising Aspect Explained

Last week’s New Yorker includes a summary of the Jan 6 Report. For those of us lacking the patience to read through 845 pages with four appendices and an astounding 4,285 endnotes, it includes a few facts that didn’t really come out during the broadcast proceedings.

Chief among these (to me anyway) is that 28,000 “patriots” went through magnetometers to hear Donnie speak at his “It Will Be Wild” Rally on the Ellipse at noon on Jan 6. Those “patriots” were relieved of 269 knives, 242 canisters of pepper spray, 18 brass knuckles, 18 tasers, and 30 batons or blunt instruments. That’s what most people would bring to a session of “legitimate political discourse”. Many of the 28,000 upon seeing the magnetometers stashed their weapons in trees or in their cars.

Another 25,000 “patriots” refused to pass through security apparently believing that it violated their rights. You have to pass through a metal detector at courthouses, airports and even most schools nowadays, guys.

Donnie was upset that half of his crowd was outside the security lines. Eloquent as always, Donnie fumed, “I don’t fucking care that they have weapons. They’re not here to hurt me. Take the fucking mags away.”

That’s very Presidential, Donnie. It’s exactly what Washington or Lincoln would say and the way that they would say it in that situation.

Alas, the Secret Service kept security in place. Maybe that explains what, to me, is the most surprising aspect of Jan 6. In a country with more guns than people where there has been more than one mass shooting for every day so far in January, there was no gunfire at the Capitol on that day by the “protestors.” Thanks for ignoring the President, Secret Service.

By Ed Dufton