Bring the Insurrectionists to Justice

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Jan 9, 2021

Rep. Andy Kim was just re-elected for the second time. Lives in NJ other side of the Delaware River from me.

A Capitol mob desecrated a historical workplace. N.J. Rep. Andy Kim was overwhelmed with ‘so much hurting.’ so he started cleaning up.

https://www.inquirer.com/politics/nation/capitol-siege-andy-kim-joe-biden-trump-house-american-flags-20210109.html

toomuchbaloney · Jan 9, 2021

They should lose their right to own/possess weapons and ammunition if convicted.

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Jan 9, 2021

Its ironic that none of these rioters thought of Trumps Executive Order issued June 2020 that will be used against them .

The order tells the attorney general to "prioritize within the Department of Justice the investigation and prosecution" of those who damage government-owned monuments, citing federal law that "authorizes a penalty of up to 10 years' imprisonment for the willful injury of Federal property."

Executive Order on Protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues and Combating Recent Criminal Violence. Law & Justice.

chare · Jan 9, 2021

49 minutes ago, toomuchbaloney said:

They should lose their right to own/possess weapons and ammunition if convicted.

If convicted, they should be subject to the same restrictions and loss of privileges and rights as anyone else convicted of a federal crime.

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Jan 9, 2021

MSNBC host Ali Velshi broadcast from the Capital today re assault on America, has previously stated "As journalists, our job is to hold power accountable"

https://www.msnbc.com/ali-velshi/watch/velshi-the-power-of-three-boxes-99205701584

macawake, MSN · Jan 9, 2021

2 hours ago, NRSKarenRN said:

Federal charges are revealing just how dangerous this insurrection was.

Pipe bombs were planted/neutralized at RNC and DNC offices. A car found outside the Capital had hundreds of bullet rounds along with Molotov cocktails. Five persons have died in connection with Capitol Hill riots. 'Hang Mike Pence' trends on Twitter after platform suspends Trump for risk of 'incitement of violence'. Next 2 weeks will be the most dangerous for our country all due to internal domestic terrorism fueled over the past 5 years IMHO..

I wish I could say that I was surprised when I saw the news of the events that unfolded on January 6. I wasn’t. I was expecting this. The only thing that surprised me was the ease that insurrectionists gained entry to a government building and also that not more people died. Yes, sadly you read that last part correctly. Five deaths is shocking but I think it could easily have been a lot worse.

I’m amazed that the threat assessment made in advance doesn’t appear to have included a scenario where people tried to force their way into the building. It’s always a bit tricky to judge when one doesn’t have access to all the information, but they appeared woefully unprepared for what transpired. I’m very sad that a police officer lost his life.

This threat of violence has been percolating and simmering on social media for quite a while and it inevitably reached the boiling point. When the word went out that they should gather in DC on the 6th, it was obvious that it would end in violence.

Pipe bombs, ammunition and Molotov cocktails. Also several nooses.. And one guy was seen holding a whole bunch of zip ties. The kind that law enforcement use instead of handcuffs in mass arrest situations. Who were they planning on forcibly restraining? What were the nooses for?

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/noose-hung-outside-capitol/

What was it Trump told the Proud Boys? To stand by. If you combine that with the endless and unproven accusations about how the election was stolen from him, I don’t think it’s a stretch to imagine that either they or other like-minded groups could interpret that as a clarion call. For example, those QAnon folks do not seem entirely rational and feeding them full with nonsense and lies is probably not wise.

I suspect there were individuals within the criminal crowd that stormed the Capitol who had plans that went far beyond stealing Ipads and strutting around with the Speaker’s pulpit.

I don’t think you’re out of the woods yet. I fear there will be more violence and more attempts to subvert democracy. I hope the various law enforcement and intelligence organizations will be better prepared if this happens again.

My heart goes out to you. The pandemic is enough of a challenge and hardship for us all, but you are also facing a very real assault on your democracy.

Take care my AN friends!

Edited to add a couple of links:

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2021/01/09/insurrectionist-zip-tie-guy-identified-as-retired-air-force-lieutenant-colonel/

https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/biden-trump-electoral-college-certification-congress/card/x1dwwPqnJM1XfQh5LaUj

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Jan 9, 2021

ABC News 1/08/2021

Trump allies helped plan, promote rally that led to Capitol attack

Quote

...A permit for the rally submitted by "Women for America First" Executive Director Kylie Jane Kremer -- the daughter of the group's founder, former Tea Party activist Amy Kremer -- was approved on January 4. The permit stated that the event would take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with 30,000 attendees, according to documents obtained by ABC News.

"Women for America First" is a nonprofit 501(c)4 organization that was founded in 2019. Since the November election, the group has taken the lead in organizing events, bus tours, and protests challenging the results of the election, which often feature members of the president's campaign and family.

Sources tell ABC News that many staffers who had worked on the president's 2020 campaign were involved in setting up and taking down the event space, including the stage on the National Mall. The Trump campaign denied that any active members of its team were involved in the planning of the rally, telling ABC News in a statement, "We did not organize, operate or finance this event. No campaign staff was involved in the organization or operation of this event. If any former employees or independent contractors for the campaign worked on this event, they did not do so at the direction of the Trump campaign."...

chare · Jan 9, 2021

59 minutes ago, macawake said:

I wish I could say that I was surprised when I saw the news of the events that unfolded on January 6. I wasn’t. I was expecting this. The only thing that surprised me was the ease that insurrectionists gained entry to a government building and also that not more people died. Yes, sadly you read that last part correctly. Five deaths is shocking but I think it could easily have been a lot worse.

[...]

I agree. The closer we got to 6 January, the more concerned I became. I was staffing that day, and one of my coworkers told me what was happening, and showed me the videos available online at that time. And, based on what I saw then, and read later, I agree; the death toll could have easily been much greater than it was.

59 minutes ago, macawake said:

[...]

I’m amazed that the threat assessment made in advance doesn’t appear to have included a scenario where people tried to force their way into the building. It’s always a bit tricky to judge when one doesn’t have access to all the information, but they appeared woefully unprepared for what transpired. I’m very sad that a police officer lost his life.

This threat of violence has been percolating and simmering on social media for quite a while and it inevitably reached the boiling point. When the word went out that they should gather in DC on the 6th, it was obvious that it would end in violence.

[...]

According to an article I saw online, and unfortunately can’t find at this time, the Capital Police have 2000 officers, half of the entire District of Columbia force, to protect an area 3% of the entire District of Columbia. I can’t begin to guess what the Capital Police were thinking; based on available intelligence, they should have been on emergency staffing and had half of the force available.

1 hour ago, macawake said:

[...]

Pipe bombs, ammunition and Molotov cocktails. Also several nooses.. And one guy was seen holding a whole bunch of zip ties. The kind that law enforcement use instead of handcuffs in mass arrest situations. Who were they planning on forcibly restraining? What were the nooses for?

[...]

Not just a noose, but a gallows as well. As for the zip ties, pipe bombs, ammunition, Molotov cocktails, and whatever else they had available, I don’t think there can be any doubt of their intent, regardless of what any of the protesters, or anyone else tries to explain.

1 hour ago, macawake said:

[...]

I don’t think you’re out of the woods yet. I fear there will be more violence and more attempts to subvert democracy. I hope the various law enforcement and intelligence organizations will be better prepared if this happens again.

[...]

Nor do I. Hopefully, this was a wakeup call for all.

1 hour ago, macawake said:

[...]

My heart goes out to you. The pandemic is enough of a challenge and hardship for us all, but you are also facing a very real assault on your democracy.

Take care my AN friends!

Thank you.

toomuchbaloney · Jan 13, 2021

A ‘Stop the Steal’ organizer, now banned by Twitter, said three GOP lawmakers helped plan his D.C. rally

Quote

Weeks before a mob of President Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, right-wing activist Ali Alexander told his followers he was planning something big for Jan. 6.
Alexander, who organized the “Stop the Steal” movement, said he hatched the plan — coinciding with Congress’s vote to certify the electoral college votes — alongside three GOP lawmakers: Reps. Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Mo Brooks (Ala.) and Paul A. Gosar (Ariz.), all hard-line Trump supporters.
“We four schemed up of putting maximum pressure on Congress while they were voting,” Alexander said in a since-deleted video on Periscope highlighted by the Project on Government Oversight, an investigative nonprofit. The plan, he said, was to “change the hearts and the minds of Republicans who were in that body, hearing our loud roar from outside.”

Biggs, Gosar, Brooks...who else? Jordan?

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Jan 13, 2021

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Jan 13, 2021

Since most rioters had never been to the Capital,only way to know way around to key offices was via a tour or study of online Capital maps.