Columnist Dave Baumeister unloads on the deplorables who committed insurrection in the name of Trump:
In 2004, I was 46, and that year I made my first trip to Washington, D.C.
While I was there, I spent quite a bit of time at the United States Capitol building, and, being a student of American history and government, I was in awe.
Never was I prouder of my American heritage than the day I first stepped into the Rotunda.
The beauty, majesty and history of the building was nothing short of inspiring.
And what made it all the more inspiring is when I realized I was walking through my own house.
Granted that same house belonged to many other people, too, but it was none the less mine.
My tax dollars helped pay for it, I voted for people who served there, and things happened in those halls which affected me every day.
Now, my readers, I don’t know what any of you would do, but like most South Dakotans, no matter their political persuasion, if people ever smashed my windows and broke into my home when I was present, I would empty my revolver into their bodies.
Then I would have another ready, in case anyone else followed.
And as I watched events unfold at the Capitol on Wednesday, Jan 6, I was waiting to see the Capitol police or local National Guard do just what I would have done.
What we saw was an insurrection.
This time there were no Antifa or BLM protestors there to be blamed. No, it was all the MAGA hat-wearing Trump supporters.
These were not Republicans, as REAL Republicans know that the president’s behavior had already cost them control of the Senate with voters in Georgia.
These were just people who have no care or understanding of the sacrifices of REAL patriots and REAL Americans.
These were people who were stirred up by one man, Donald J. Trump, and were upset because the majority of the rest of the country didn’t want him as their President.
And these were people – deplorable people – who just looked for any excuse to destroy.
The people involved in this were all guilty of treason.
At work on Wednesday, we had a talk about whether or not people are still shot for treason.
I am not a big believer in capital punishment, but I could see it here.
They broke into “our house.”
They threatened our government and our democracy.
There is no place for these people in a decent society.
If I felt the rush of pride being an American in 2004, a President of the United States should feel that one hundred times more.
But what we saw on Tuesday, Jan. 6, was a child – a deplorable child – telling anyone who listened to walk from his house to the Capitol and destroy the bastion of our Republic.
After all, if he couldn’t be president, then no one should have that honor, and the trappings of our democracy should be laid to waste.
In other words, Trump had a tantrum and threw the game board across the room.
I did notice that after telling his minions not to be weak and to march down Pennsylvania Ave. to the Capitol, he didn’t have the courage to go along with them.
Or maybe he didn’t go because he knew it was wrong.
But he also knew that the brainless puppets who follow him would do anything he told them to.
It’s funny: we teach our children that our president should represent the best aspects of Americans, but Donald Trump has literally only represented the worst, and that is all he has ever wanted to represent: the sycophants who are devoted to him and believe every lie he spouts.
People who have learned civics know how our democracy works, and they know what people have fought and died for.
But Trump’s love for only himself is reflected by the brainless rabble who follow him.
After this was all over, it was good to see many of Trump’s former supporters come out against him, but those same people should also be feeling a strong sense of shame.
They may not have invaded our Capitol, but they know they bear some of the responsibility for those actions.
Let’s hope they can learn from their mistakes and help the non-deplorables make a better future for our country.
Baumeister says,”But Trump’s love for only himself is reflected by the brainless rabble who follow him.” That statement surely includes all the millions of people who voted for him. Everyone knew what he was like because he told you time and again what he was going to do, so I find all of those people complicit in the insurrection. That would include our useless governor who continues to to shame this state with crazy accusations and non existent governing.
This is a completely tangential observation, but I don’t understand how “basket of deplorables” became the cleverest thing ever said, to where people painfully work “deplorables” into their writing and people hold up lighters like they’re at a Frampton Comes Alive concert.
I don’t disagree with the sentiment, but clinging to “deplorables” as though it’s Mencken, Parker, and Shakespeare rolled into one makes me cringe.
QAnon congresswoman faces calls for arrest after live-tweeting Nancy Pelosi’s location to rioters
https://www.rawstory.com/lauren-boebert-twitter/
Is she “deplorable” enough to deserve the derisive name?
Commenters of a different strippe whine on another site the riot damage in Seattle or Minneapolis is far more than what was done to the capitol. That remains to be seen about monetary damage, but the damage to America and Democracy perpetrated by deplorables is beyond priceless.And intentional!
Dave: “These were not Republicans, as REAL Republicans know that the president’s behavior had already cost them control of the Senate with voters in Georgia.”
I struggle with this. Republicans had a choice in making Donald Trump their nominee; they then chose to make him the leader of that party; they choose to set aside core beliefs to allow Donald Trump to do as Donald Trump wanted. The GOP took in Donald Trump AND all those minions that would follow him. I am also willing to bet all the money in my pocket that they were all Republicans BEFORE Donald Trump become President. The difference is that now they DEFINE Republicans.
It took this abhorrent act to get the GOP to do some rhetorical distancing, but where was that exclusion during the planning, the on-line chatter, the full knowledge that these people (and millions like them) are there with heads full of nonsense and hearts full of anger?
During inauguration, the more well-armed version of these militia groups say they are heading the march on DC. They will also be Republicans. That is what the GOP has become. Unlike other GOP leaders, President Trump was not concealing that any longer from plain sight.
If the GOP wants to really “stop the steal” they better see that their party is what has been stolen. Otherwise sit on the sidelines and let the redefining conclude, but don’t say these are not Republicans.
It is exactly the same course of events when the GOP welcomed in the Dixi Democrat racists and the Tea Party extremists (who became the American Taliban according to News Night). Any party willing to make those compromises t swell the ranks to win elections loses its ability to define itself. The GOP has succeeded in electing fewer Democrats AND also fewer Republicans.
The Republican response, but, but, but, but…..the judges, etc. They elected a con man, reality showman who threw all of them a bone while he took over their party and made it the trump party, now they can live with it.
Bye the way, the newly elected glock girl from Colorado was texting Pelosi’s location to the mob as they were breaking in. She’s such a wonderful representative to be so concerned about the leader of the house during that trying time. She does have a problem with time however, she also texted that today is 1776.
Another deplorable, Jim Jorda, was awarded the presidential medal of freedumb by deplorable drumpf. Medals don’t mean as much as they used to and the great acts of humanity have evolved into kissing drumpf’s orange buttocks.
Deplorable! Wooooooo! Freebird!
[raises lighter]
It is obvious that the rioters who overran the U.S. Capitol building could have easily killed several U.S. Representatives. They beat a Capitol policeman repeatedly outside the doors in plain view of cameras using flagpoles, wooden canes, and metal crutches. They killed another officer by bashing in his head with a brass fire extinguisher. They tried to murder a third by crushing him in between a big wooden door and a brick wall.These three police were not even on the rioters ‘radar’. So you tell me what would have happened if they had cornered Nancy Pelosi or Mike Pence or any one of many on their hit list? Obviously we would have many fatalities and even more blood on Donald Trump’s hands.
So please Senator Rounds and Thune and US Rep Johnson…explain to us back here in South Dakota why you would oppose the resignation.. removal. or impeachment of this treasonous POTUS?
I watched the video of Babbit’s death and I must say several insurrectionists beating the glass out of the doors to try to enter lounge where polls had recently evacuated, saw the black police officer with his drawn gun pointed at the doors and were warned to stay out before he fired his one and only shot. She was b eing boosted through window when she was shot.
She was not shot multiple times in back while running from cops. If a cop ever had fear for his life, this guy was it.
Babbit threw her life away based on lies drumpf told her. Chances are, drumpf won’t ever be held responsible for his criminal acts.
I saw one shot person and the rest scattered from that door. Seems like all the officers should have had concussion grenades. That surely would have stopped the whole damn mess and they could be handcuffed while they tried to figure what happened. Also, a lifetime hearing reminder not to do this again.
Humble Pie was a GREAT band; but I don’t get Frampton’s and Free Bird mentions here (though I’ve never listened to those lyrics). Hep’ me!
I do recall the interruption while playing a dynamic, serious violin solo in a rock-fusion setting, of some Black Hills red neck’s “Free Bird” shout. Pretty annoying, before it became a meme.