After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Franklin Delano Roosevelt famously said that December 7, 1941, would be a “date which will live in infamy.” Indeed, the date of the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, where they bombed and sunk most of the United States Navy, has lived on in our memories. And now there is another date which will also live in infamy: January 6, 2021.
When the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol releases its final report (anticipated on December 21, 2022), you may expect an infamous reaction from Trump, his followers and sympathizers, some Republicans in Congress, those who committed the Attack, and those who claim the Attack was “normal political discourse” and have been disingenuously denying that it was a violent insurrection intending to replace the duly elected President with Donald Trump.
The Attack failed thanks to the Capitol Police and to Mike Pence. But there remains a great deal of anger and pent-up emotion within the community of frustrated insurrectionists. Their anger and emotion is waiting to burst out; and it will be encouraged by Donald Trump and perhaps others. If Trump is referred to the Justice Department for possible criminal indictment and prosecution, the reaction is likely to be loud, large, and possibly violent. One of that community, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, has said there would have been weapons if she’d been in charge on January 6. Maybe she’ll be in charge next time?
The United States was completely surprised by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. We should not, however, be at all surprised now by some domestic insurrectionists attack on our government in 2022 or 2023. Instead, we should be prepared. We were not prepared on January 6; the Capitol Police fought to defend the Nation and democracy for hours without backup. In fact, I’m not sure they ever got backup from, say, Homeland Security, the military, the FBI, or any local or State Police.
I Googled “Who is responsible for protecting government buildings?” and found a hodge-podge. Federal building security is decentralized involving numerous federal organizations. The Secret Service protects the White House, whereas the Department of Homeland Security has overall responsibility to protect property owned by the Federal Government. Since Homeland Security is busy watching tens of thousands of illegal immigrants cross the Southern border, I doubt if they have time or resources to defend, say, the Department of Justice or the Library of Congress in Washington.
Whoever is responsible should be paying attention and getting prepared for the possibility that January 6, 2021, will divide the country more than it already is, and could lead to more riots and insurrection. Or shall we just wait and be surprised once again?
Just Sayin’.
John R. Dixon 