Out Of Control?

OUT OF CONTROL?

I’ve been in the middle of the chaos of a protest/riot. I phrase it that way as there’s a fine tipping point when one becomes the other. Yes, either can be scary, particularly when you sense that tipping point is near. I’ll explain my situation in a moment, but first as to D.C. It wasn’t a riot: Portland and Seattle and other places were riots while all those TV commentators and Congressmen and women fiddled, not showing a dollop of outrage. Amazing how little things matter when you’re 3,000 miles away.

The fact is thousands and thousands of peaceful Americans arrived in D.C. at the president’s urging to protest what’s perceived as the lack of action by states and the fed, and in my case particularly SCOTUS. The additional fact is Americans all over the country are FED UP and that frustration exploded with more fervor than even they anticipated when Pence failed to act with the simple request for state legislators to “take another look.”

I believe as Trump proclaims he won the election by a huge margin. When we spent four years watching a desperate, demonic, Democratic party lie, connive, and waste time and money to discredit a president who was outworking and outperforming any of their ilk, even while dodging all the rocks those who live in glass houses could chuck at him. Those who ignored court orders, who smashed their phones to avoid prosecution, who destroyed servers, and who lied to a FISA court didn’t exactly encourage belief in our system of government.

So, yes, I laughed when Congressmen and women hid under their desks, and yes, I hope it shook them to the core to realize how angry Americans are at their inaction and their prior years' malfeasance. If those who charged the locked doors of the people’s house accomplished anything, I hope it created an iota of “come to Jesus” among those who get their checks at the end of the month, accomplishment or not. With about a 10% approval rating it’s obvious they need to awaken.

Now, my personal experience. When I was eighteen a couple of friends sitting next to me at a football game picked a girl up to pass her overhead as was a goofy thing done at games. Unfortunately, she had on a sweater over a slip (likely wouldn’t happen today), and wa-la, off came her sweater. No one was more surprised than my two buddies. Needless-to-say, she was a little angry and after pulling her sweater back on, she charged up the stairs and returned with a cop, who promptly waved my buddies out. They complied, but he kept waving, thinking I was a culprit as well. I kept pointing at my own chest, wondering if he meant me, and when convinced he did, I got up and complied. I guess he thought I was being a smartass, so promptly shoved my right arm up behind my back, even though I was complying. When I thought he was going to break my arm, I reacted with a left (I’m left handed) over my right shoulder and knocked him down, and unfortunately down a dozen stairs, breaking his arm. Not my intent. My buddies were at the top of the stairway now under the control of a couple of other officers, so I walked on up. They handled me a little roughly, promptly handcuffing me, dragging me out, and cuffing me to the chain link fence that surrounded the stadium. To my surprise, a couple of hundred fans followed, yelling for me to be turned loose. They quickly became a mob, and I soon thought I was going to be sieved through that fence. I could see the fear in the eyes of the cops, and that didn’t help. Thankfully, a lady cop, who was a juvenile expert, arrived and the cops followed her demands and un-cuffed me. I was astounded to see the crowd quiet, and soon return to their seats. I went to the pokey. I got roughed up a bit but had just come out of high-school wrestling and getting roughed up was a daily affair. A few bruises; the cops didn’t break any bones. It took me a year to get my record clear, only after the chief of police was convinced I didn’t touch the girl. I also learned about eye witness testimony with a foot of depositions. Jokes to read, had it not been so serious to my future. It was a rookie cop and to my surprise the broken arm was of little concern to the chief who said his rookie was over enthusiastic. 

So, things can get out of hand, as they did in D.C., and all these talking heads who say how terrible it was should have been around in 1776 when Americans really got frustrated and angry. Rather than take umbrage, maybe they should take warning? It’s tragic a woman was shot and killed, it’s suspicious two bombs were found. Anyone want to bet they were not placed by Trump supporters? I’ll give you odds.