I confess to being somewhat surprised by the power and depth of the revelations disclosed this past week by the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. (See, https://january6th.house.gov/ )
I’m not sure what I was expecting. Maybe a rehash of what I had already seen on television and online. Maybe some new testimonial tidbits shedding light on a few details.
Instead, what I saw and heard this week was nothing short of historic.
For Spirited Reasoners, the following facts have now been established beyond any reasonable doubt:
- Several hundred Proud Boys reconnoitered the Capitol prior to the President’s speech. According to filmmaker Nick Quested, who had accompanied that group for several hours as part of a documentary he hoped to create, the Proud Boys clearly arrived with plans. They knew what they were doing.
- The physical injuries inflicted upon law enforcement guarding the steps of the Capitol were difficult for Spirited Reasoners to watch. Visual evidence of the crowd knocking Caroline Edwards unconscious was supplemented by her testimony (thank God she survived to tell it) about the crowd calling her a traitor. She comes from a family of patriots and has now established herself as a hero in her own right.
- It was Vice President Pence, not President Trump, who ordered the National Guard to respond to the attack. Had he (Pence) not done so, no one knows what the outcome of the insurrection might have been.
- When told that some members of the crowd were shouting “Hang Mike Pence,” President Trump tweeted that Mike Pence deserved it.
To those who claim that none of this will change the minds of most Trump supporters, Spirited Reasoners should respond as follows: Focus on the word “most.” If only ten percent of Trump supporters have their faith shaken by these revelations, then millions of voters could be having second thoughts right now. That’s more than enough to swing upcoming primaries and general elections in a more moderate direction.
We’ll see.