The Apex of White Privilege

 Apex. 

Definition:  

noun

noun: the top or highest part of something, especially one forming a point.

 

verb

verb: reach a high point or climax.

 

 

As I am reflecting on the events at the U.S. Capitol, on January 6, 2021, I have a hope [I have a lot of hopes that result from that day, so stay tuned].

 

My most fervent hope is that we have finally, FINALLY reached the apex of white privilege in this country. 

White privilege, wrapped in "patriotic glory" was on full display that day in Washington, D.C. You only have to look at the photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

• The fact that they could stroll, unimpeded, past Capitol police? And they somehow knew they would be safe??  That's some whiteness. 
• The fact that they could, and did, defecate on the floors of the Capitol? Knowing who would in all probability clean it up? That's disgraceful whiteness.
  
•  The fact that someone was so deliriously white that he thought he could strut the flag of the failed Confederacy through the halls of the United States of America Capitol Building?? That's some whiteness. 
• The fact that some insurrectionists could successfully reach out to their members of Congress for a "Reconnaissance Tour" the day before the riots? That's some whiteness.
• The fact that some members of Congress freely gave those tours? That's some whiteness.  
• The fact that the so-called "Leader of the Free World" could instigate, through inflammatory words, repeated by the media for weeks, an insurrection in the United States? That's some whiteness. 
•  The fact that only ONE insurrectionist was shot and killed that day? That's some damn big whiteness.

 But wait! There's more!

 

• The fact that white members of Congress can, without hesitation, repeat the lies of the loser of the presidential election, thus giving some "authority" to his lies and fanning the flames of the insurrection? AND will be re-elected?? That's some whiteness.
  
• The fact that white members of Congress, aside from the Speaker of the House and some members who have run for president, are able to "blend in" with "the crowd"? Which undoubtedly kept them safe that day? That's some whiteness. 
• The fact that white members of Congress knew, without hesitation, who their "helpers" were that day? You know, the people they could turn to to keep them safe? That's some whiteness.
• The fact that offices of the white members of Congress were not apparently vandalized? Their panic buttons weren't ripped out? That's some whiteness.
  
• The fact that white GOP members of Congress could absolutely refuse to wear masks even when they knew it would spread COVID-19, and nobody would make them put one on? That's some whiteness. 
• The fact that, right now, white members of Congress can walk around the newly-installed metal detectors...put there for their own safety? That's some damn big whiteness. 

 

It's been an exhausting ten days for all of us. For the vast majority of humanity, the insurrection lead by Donald Trump and carried out by his [mostly] white minions was an unthinkable assault on democracy. We pray, we hope, we hold our breath...wishing that there will be a peaceful transfer of power on January 20th. And then we white people expect things to get back to "normal".

Members of Congress who are people of color? They will not have that luxury. They will always be a target. Our new vice president? She will always be a target. The next people to peacefully protest anything? If they are people of color, they will always be targeted. Their mindfulness of the potential for violence is never-ending. We all need to be aware of this, to be mindful of this. As Jon Stewart, speaking after Ferguson said, "Racism is there and it is a constant. You’re tired of hearing about it? Imagine how fucking exhausting it is living it." 

Imagine. Imagine that the apex of white privilege in this country occurred on January 6, 2021. 

HOPE. PRAY. 

Because if the insurrection in Washington, D. C. was not the apex of white privilege; if it wasn't the very last time white people thought they had unlimited power to do anything they damn well want to in this country? 

We are doomed.

 

 

 

I Am a Proud American

I am proud to be an American. I am.

I do not consider myself a patriot, or particularly "patriotic" because when I read the definition of the word "patriotic" ("the quality of being patriotic; devotion to and vigorous support for one's country."), I have some hesitations. 

• I have talked to people who call themselves patriots, and have told me to, "Go back to [my] country." They cannot possibly be supporters of the United States and at the same time wish to deny me my right to free speech. 
• I have seen, just within the past few days, people who must consider themselves "patriotic" because they are carrying the American flag (or wrapped themselves in it):  these people have hurt their fellow Americans, have killed them, and have desecrated the very spaces they claim to love so much. 
• I have seen self-described "patriots" who have committed heinous crimes against other Americans because those "others" do not fit the "patriotic" definition of American. As far as I can tell, a "patriot" MUST be white, heterosexual, non-liberal, and well, not "like that". 
•  When I was a child, I saw "patriots" attacking veterans of the Vietnam war for the sheer audacity of protesting the war they had just been fighting. I have read accounts of black veterans, still in their uniforms, being beaten and killed by "patriots" for asking to be treated as  human beings.
• When I was a child, I also read U. S. history books, full of accounts of atrocities against indigenous people, against humans held as slaves, against other US citizens in battle, all done because the perpetrators were "patriots".
  
• I have been called unpatriotic for not completely, without hesitation, supporting the 45th president of the United States. I've been called other names too for not supporting this man, but "unpatriotic" is the most galling.
• Finally, as a child I was compelled to "Pledge Allegiance to the Flag" without knowing what I was saying. As an adult, an elected leader, I was told it would be "patriotic" to force my children and all other children of the school district to "Pledge Allegiance to the Flag"...even if the children were not American citizens. 

So forgive me if I cannot call myself "patriotic".

But I do love the United States, with all its' flaws. I recognize that there are some serious, terrible problems within the borders of the US, and those problems have to be dealt with. But I have to believe that the majority of Americans want to make our country so much better, so much more just and free for all who live here. I do believe that.

Why am I proud to be an American?

 

• I received an education, a public education. I live in a country that values education for all. There are free public libraries too!
  
• I can vote. I can vote for people I believe have the same vision for my country. I can urge and register others to vote for the same candidates I do.
  
• I can speak out. I can write, I can send letters, I can make phone calls, I can peacefully protest. I recognize that the color of my skin means I can do all of that without being harmed, but I can also work for the rights of others to do the same thing.
• I can work to make things better for all, without being jailed or killed for being "against the government". 
• I can read whatever I want to. I can read newspapers, full of articles freely written by journalists, even if they are critical of the government.
• As an American, I live in a country with others who believe in the same basic tenets of government that I do; people who agree that the words in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are basic building blocks for the government they want to work to uphold.
• I live in a country full of people who want to do the right thing, and who are allowed to encourage others to join them in that quest. They can start companies, not-for-profits, whatever they wish.
• I could go on and on, but I need to make a final, important point.

I am proud to be an American, and I love this country. I love the symbols of democracy, and I am proud we have them:  the Statue of Liberty, Lady Justice, the Lincoln Memorial, the Martin Luther King Memorial. The United States Capitol Building.

On September 11, 2001, I watched in horror as the "Twin Towers" fell, knowing so many people were going to die. I was concerned too about the people at the Pentagon as I watched that plane crash. But the hearing the Capitol building was the next possible target?? I was angry and horrified--how dare those terrorists attack our symbol of freedom? How dare they try to kill our lawmakers??? Evidently a plane full of human beings felt the same, as they all died in a field in Pennsylvania, trying to prevent the destruction of the Capitol. I will remember the horrors of that day forever; I will remember my feelings of utter shock forever.

I hoped I would never feel those feelings again in my lifetime. But on January 6, 2021, they all came rushing back as I watched a radical mob breach the Capitol and rush inside to break and destroy, and to kill other Americans. I was so sick, so angry--I knew absolutely that the President of the United States had told these rioters they were patriots. I knew he had instigated this simply because he could not deal with having lost an election; having lost the enormous power that comes with that important office. He stoked their feelings of hatred toward other Americans, he told them lies--he told them they had lost their rights as Americans. He knew exactly what he was doing, and they responded. They attacked a building, a monument to democracy that had not been breached since 1812, when it was breached by a then-foreign enemy. 

This Capitol of the United States? Even during the awful Civil War, all Americans knew this monument, this building should be protected. But some of  my fellow Americans became domestic terrorists this week; deluded into believing they were doing a patriotic thing by breaching and damaging a great symbol of democracy. 

 

They should be ashamed. 

He should be removed from office. He is not fit to be Commander in Chief.

 

And now? We all have work to do to re-unite our country. To take it back from tyranny.

Maybe...maybe some day, we can all be proud to be Americans again.

 

January 6, 2021

 Written on January 7, 2021

January 6, 2021 (Wednesday)

I am still trying to wrap my head around what happened today in the country I live in, the country I was born in, the country I love. I am not blindly patriotic, but I do think the United States has been, and has the potential to be again, a leader in the world. It will take a LOT of work, a LOT of each of us taking responsibility for upholding freedom and justice for all of us, and a LOT of being the adults we are supposed to be.

 

[These are my thoughts, but I have added quotes from Heather Cox Richardson, a scholar and historian, because she is so articulate.]

 

In November 2016, I wept after the election of Trump as president of the United States. I was afraid of what he could do, based on what he said during the campaign. Since he had never held public office, there was no record of his public service. I was shocked that someone so unqualified, so apparently narcissistic, could be elected Leader of the Free World.

 

But never, ever—in my darkest dreams—would I have ever imagined what happened today; when a sitting President of the United States incited insurrection. That happens in other countries. Not in the United States of America. I should not have been surprised or blindsided by the events, but I was. Who in their right mind thinks their leader is going to lead a coup in a democracy? And yet, Trump was enabled, from Day One, by GOP leaders and administration officials, by his Cabinet secretaries, and by ordinary Americans. Every. Single. Time he broke a law, he got away with it. Every single time he violated common practices, he got away with it. He was impeached for trying to bribe the leader of another country, and he got away with it. Just last Saturday, he forcefully “asked” officials in the state of Georgia to commit election fraud, and he got away with it. He told over 10,000 lies in his first year in office, and he got away with it. His response to the pandemic has been reckless, irresponsible, and pathetic…and he is getting away with it. He has done everything he can to cheapen, to destroy, the office of President of the United States…and he is getting away with it.

 

The majority of voters knew he was dangerous for our democracy and needed to go. We chose Joe Biden to replace him.

 

Operating under the guidelines set forth in the 12^th Amendment to the Constitution, every four years Congress meets in Joint Session to certify the election of the president and the vice president. It’s usually a formality; the sitting vice president “opens” each letter of certification from each state, and if there are no objections (a member of the House and a member of the Senate must be involved in any objection), that state’s Electoral votes are counted. Usually takes less than an hour. We knew there would be objections this year; Trump loyalist Sen. Josh Hawley (who raised money off of his objection guarantee) said he would be joining House members in objecting to the (fair and legally certified) votes from Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. What a putz—this meant that, in the midst of a raging pandemic, this ceremonial process was going to go on for hours (each objection meant a return to chambers, and a potential two-hour debate before a vote).

 

I knew the day was going to be a long one, but being the political nerd I am, I looked forward to the speeches that defended the process and the Electoral vote (I did not look forward to the GOP speeches, which I knew would be full of lies, and I’d already heard those lies multiple times from the election loser). I knew, ultimately, that the process would run its’ course, and Joe Biden and Kamala Harris would be our next president and vice president. The nightmare would soon be over—on January 20^th, in fact.

 

The day started off great—Raphael Warnock had won his race for Georgia senator, and Jon Ossoff was on track to win too—this would ensure a 50/50 split in the Senate, with the leadership going to DEMOCRATS!!

 

I had heard there was going to be a rally of Trump supporters in the morning (I had assumed it would be on the Mall, as most protests are. In fact, the rally was on The Ellipse (a park just south of the White House)). “Big deal,” I thought—there had already been two such rallies already, and they were poorly attended and full of a lot of lies and bluster. Trump was actually going to make an appearance though, which would energize the few hundred; I assumed that, although there were certainly going to be white supremist groups and the Proud Boys would make an appearance, there would be nothing to worry about. I listened to a bit of Trump’s speech, and it seemed like a typical rambling, incoherent stump speech. I didn’t even see that many people in the crowd—it was cold and windy, and who would want to put up with that??

 

Richardson says of the rally, “In the middle of the day, Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani spoke to the crowd, telling them: “Let’s have trial by combat.” Trump followed, lying that he had won the election and saying “we are going to have to fight much harder.” He warned that Pence had better “come through for us, and if he doesn’t, that will be a sad day for our country.” He warned that Chinese-driven socialists are taking over the country. And he told them to march on Congress to “save our democracy.””

The Joint Session began at 1 p.m., and I listened to the proceedings as I worked. When they got to Arizona, Sen. Ted Cruz joined members of the House in baselessly contesting the election process and the vote tally. The Joint Session adjourned, and senators returned to their chamber to begin what could be a two-hour “debate” of these false claims. Oy, what a long afternoon it was going to be. I switched to coverage from C-SPAN, as they will just air the speeches without commentary; I watched every once in a while, but mostly listened.

 

About 2:20ish, it appeared that something irregular was going on. The audio from C-SPAN was cut, and there were a lot of people moving around on the Senate floor. Because there was no audio and no commentators, it was impossible to tell what was going on—it was clear that Vice President Pence was gone; no longer presiding. I checked Twitter, to see if anyone had posted anything, and what I read was chilling.

 

Turns out the words of the President of the United States had incited insurrection. Yes.

INNSURRECTION.

In Washington, D.C.

 

Over the next 2 hours, we watched various news channels, but every single image was stunning and absolutely unbelievable.

 

There was a mob, storming the Capitol Building of the United States of America. A violent mob. Hundreds of people, waving Trump flags and Confederate flags, screaming and attacking police. Breaking windows, smashing through doors, streaming into Statuary Hall and into the Rotunda of OUR Capitol Building.

 

WHAT THE HELL WERE THEY DOING??? AND WHY???

 

I watched as the doors to the House Chamber were barricaded, and police crouched behind the stack of chairs with guns drawn. I watched as members of the House put on gas masks, and were escorted to safety. More and more rioters pushed past police lines and barricades outside, broke more windows and doors, and forced their way into the Capitol. There were so many of them! Where were they all coming from???

 

I was watching an event, the equivalent of watching the events of 9/11, unfold on my computer screen. I was not there, but it was terrifying, and I felt so very scared. How did this happen? What were their goals? Were they going to kill members of Congress?

 

The mob, the thugs, the insurrectionists—then they breached the Senate Chamber and the House Chamber. They dropped down from balconies, they took selfies?!

 

The last time the Capitol was taken over was by the British….in 1812. Not even during the Civil War. And yet here was a stunning image:  the Confederate flag, being carried by so many through the halls of Congress.

 

The bastards.

 

Richardson writes:  “…a violent mob stormed the Capitol and Cruz, along with the rest of the lawmakers, was rushed to safety (four quick-thinking staffers brought along the electoral ballots, in their ceremonial boxes). As the rioters broke in, police shot and killed one of them: Ashli Babbitt, an Air Force veteran from San Diego, QAnon believer, and staunch Trump supporter. The insurrectionists broke into the Senate chamber, where one was photographed on the dais of the Senate, shirtless and wearing a bull costume that revealed a Ku Klux Klan tattoo on his abdomen. They roamed the Capitol looking for Pence and other lawmakers they considered enemies. Not finding them, they ransacked offices. One rioter photographed himself sitting at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s desk with his feet on it. Capitol police provided little obstruction, apparently eager to avoid confrontations that could be used as propaganda on social media. The intruders seemed a little surprised at their success, taking selfies and wandering around like tourists. One stole a lectern.”

 

So unbelievable. An assault, instigated by the President of the United States, on the Capitol! And the police seemed to be outnumbered. No tear gas, no riot gear, so few officers—unlike the Black Lives Matter marches in the summer, when Trump called out the National Guard AND the military AND some guys who wore all black, wore no identifying badges, and who were herding people into unmarked black vans. The mayor of DC could only do so much with the personnel she had. Getting no help from the Defense Department (even though these were federal lawmakers under attack, the president issued no orders. He was silent), she turned to surrounding states and localities for police officers. Then, FINALLY…

 

Richardson:  “… acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller issued a statement saying he had conferred with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, Vice President Pence, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Representative Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and had fully activated the D.C. National Guard.

He did not mention the president. “

 

Meanwhile, the rioters were looting, a woman (a veteran and a Q-Anon follower) had been shot and killed, and the whole world watched the chaos. Fortunately, fortunately, fortunately…the rioters did not seem to have a coordinated plan beyond breaking into the Capitol. Having been to the Capitol Building myself, I can only image that the rioters were as awestruck as I am every time I walk into the People’s Building. The sheer grandeur of the Rotunda, the beauty of Statuary Hall, the artwork (“Please don’t let them destroy the priceless art,” I thought), the solidness of the marble floors and walls, the sense of history—all must have struck them as they stormed up stairs and down hallways. I say this because as I watched them swagger into the House and the Senate chambers, the rioters suddenly appeared…subdued. They seemed to wonder what they were really doing there. Oh sure, there were those who were photographing papers still left on desks, but for the most part, they just sat down. That’s it, thank the heavens—they just sat. Then they left.

 

“WHERE is the president???” I shouted. “Why isn’t he saying something….anything!” It was truly unnerving, to know that this mob was inspired by the Leader of the Free World, and he was completely and utterly silent as mobs destroyed the Capitol.

 

Richardson:  “As the White House, the FBI, the Justice Department, and the Department of Homeland Security all remained silent, President-Elect Joe Biden spoke to cameras urging calm and calling on Trump to tell his supporters to go home. But CNN White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins later reported that she spoke to White House officials who were “genuinely freaked… out” that Trump was “borderline enthusiastic” about the storming of the Capitol because “it meant the certification was being derailed.””

 

 

Let that sink in. The president was “enthusiastic” about riotous insurrectionists. Thank goodness for President Joe Biden (let’s just call him that, because he WAS); his words were calm, articulate, and a voice of reason during absolute chaos.

FINALLY, just after 4, Trump spoke via video, repeating his false claims that he had been cheated of victory. He concluded by saying: “Go home, we love you, you’re very special.” Twitter found this video so offensive, they immediately took it down, stating it could incite more violence.

 

Richardson:  “By nighttime Trump’s Twitter feed seemed to blame his enemies for the violence the president had incited (although the rhythm of the words did not sound to me like Trump’s own usual cadence): “These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!”

Twitter took down the tweet and banned the president for at least twelve hours for inciting violence; Facebook and Instagram followed suit.”

 

Trump was cut off from communication, thank goodness. The rioters started to leave the Capitol—apparently when you are not given a set of goals, you don’t know what else to do with yourself.

 

Richardson:  “At 8:00, heavily armed guards escorted the lawmakers back to the Capitol, thoroughly scrubbed by janitors, where the senators and representatives resumed their counting of the certified votes. The events of the afternoon had broken some of the Republicans away from their determination to challenge the votes. Fourteen Republican senators had announced they would object to counting the certified votes from Arizona; in the evening count the number dropped to six: Cruz (R-TX), Hawley (R-MO), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), John Kennedy (R-LA), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL).

In the House, 121 Republicans, more than half the Republican caucus, voted to throw out Biden’s electors from Arizona. As in the Senate, they lost when 303 Representatives voted in favor.

Six senators and more than half of the House Republicans backed an attempt to overthrow our government, in favor of a man caught on tape just four days ago trying to strong-arm a state election official into falsifying the election results….White House Counsel Pat Cipollone urged people to stay away from Trump to limit their chances of being prosecuted for treason under the Sedition Act. By midnight, four staffers had resigned, as well as Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Pottinger, with other, higher level officials also talking about leaving. Even Trump adviser Stephen Miller admitted it was a bad day. Quickly, pro-Trump media began to insist that the attack was a false-flag operation of “Antifa,” despite the selfies and videos posted by known right-wing agitators, and the fact that Trump had invited, incited, and praised them.

Former Secretary of Defense James Mattis laid the blame for today’s attack squarely at the feet of Trump himself: “Today’s violent assault on our Capitol, and effort to subjugate American democracy by mob rule, was fomented by Mr. Trump. His use of the Presidency to destroy trust in our election and to poison our respect for fellow citizens has been enabled by pseudo political leaders whose names will live in infamy as profiles in cowardice.”

The attempted coup drew condemnation from all but the radical Trump supporters in government. Former President George W. Bush issued a statement “on insurrection at the Capitol,” saying “it is a sickening and heartbreaking sight.” “I am appalled by the reckless behavior of some political leaders since the election,” he said, and accused such leaders of enflaming the rioters with lies and false hopes. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) was more direct: “What happened here today was an insurrection incited by the President of the United States.”

Across the country tonight are calls for Trump’s removal through the 25th amendment, impeachment, or resignation. The Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee have joined the chorus, writing to Pence urging him to invoke the 25th. Angry at Trump’s sabotaging of the Georgia elections in addition to the attack on our democracy, prominent Republicans are rumored to be doing the same.”

 

At 1:30 this morning, I turned off C-SPAN, disgusted that there were still members of Congress who would support the lies of a president who had almost pulled off a coup. The United States is still standing, but this one man, aided by so many, nearly destroyed her. Nearly.