We Interrupt This Crisis

In the middle of what is overwhelming, the smallest distraction provided a welcome comfort.

Yesterday, they found a plastic bag of my possessions from when my car was sold 18 months ago. I wasn't there when it happened -- I was in a skilled nursing facility after my stroke, relearning how to walk, not worrying whether I would ever drive a car again. 

The bag resembled what they give you after a person has died -- their last possessions. 

Now my car didn't exactly die -- it just left me for somebody else -- but it *was* a symbol of the independence I yearned for when I was strapped down in beds with alarms on each side in case I started to take another fall.  

As I sorted through the stuff, here's what I found:

A bag of quarters, maybe $4-5 worth, that I kept in the car for parking meters. (Remember those?) That's back when you needed cash to park legally.

Like when I was fetching my kids at school or dropping them off at soccer practice, or when we were picking up take-out Mexican or Chinese. My youngest daughter, who always had my back, saved quarters for this purpose, and gave them to me whenever she noticed I was running low.

Along with the coins, there was a faded press pass that gave me full access to the gaming company Zynga's headquarters down along the borderline between Soma and the Mission when I was a tech blogger for BNET and 7x7.

But most of what spilled out of the bag were the old CDs that I used to play in the car as I was shuttling my kids here and there. Often our trips were short -- fifteen minutes or so, and I'd try to pick songs that would finish before we reached our destination.

Elton John, Bob Dylan, the Beatles but most memorably Johnny Cash. For some reason his version of "Highway Patrolman," written by Bruce Springsteen, was one of our family favorites. It's a long  take (5:20) and more than once, I remember us sitting in the car waiting for it to finish before we got out to proceed with our business.

Of course we had heard how the story-song ends a thousand times before, but we had a minute or two left before we'd be late so why not wait it out again?

After all, anything beats being stuck in a national crisis.

***

The headlines. Folks, this is scary stuff, so I'm trying something new. My comments are appended.
 

* Joint Chiefs of Staff issue military-wide memo condemning Capitol riot, confirming Biden will become next commander in chief (WashPo) They never do this. (DW)

* How White Evangelical Christians Fused With Trump Extremism -- A potent mix of grievance and religious fervor has turbocharged the support among Trump loyalists, many of whom describe themselves as participants in a kind of holy war. (NYT) The scariest religious event I ever saw was an Islamic fundamentalist gathering in Northern Afghanistan. The second scariest was a Christian fundamentalist event in the Southern U.S. (DW)

* As senators and House members trapped inside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday begged for immediate help, they struggled to get through to the president, who — safely ensconced in the West Wing — was too busy watching fiery television images of the crisis to take their calls. (WashPo) What's on TV is more exciting than running a country. (DW)

* Justice Dept. Pursues at Least 150 Suspects in Capitol Riot (NYT) They are just scratching the surface. (DW)

* New leaders of the Capitol Police told House Democrats Monday that they were closely monitoring three separate plans by pro-Trump extremists that could pose serious threats to members of Congress and Washington ahead of Jan. 20. The most concerning plot would involve insurrectionists forming a perimeter around the Capitol, the White House and the Supreme Court, blocking Democrats ― perhaps killing them ― so Republicans could take control of the government. [HuffPost] Holy shit. (DW)

* Several Capitol police officers suspended, more than a dozen under investigation over actions related to rally and riot (WashPo) There are traitors inside the government. (DW)

* Impeach Trump Again (The Editorial Board/NYT) Good luck with that one. (DW)

* Americans across the political spectrum fear what the Capitol attack portends (WashPo) No shit. (DW)

* The Constitution gives Congress clear authority to punish its members and to expel them. The House and Senate have used the expulsion power only rarely, however, partly because disgraced members tend to resign. But Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) introduced a resolution in the House with 47 co-sponsors directing the Ethics Committee to commence a disciplinary review of all 139 Republicans who voted to overturn the election results to see if they should be censured or expelled. [HuffPost] This one's DoA. (DW)

* Trump takes no responsibility for riot as he headed for Texas (AP) You had me at 'responsibility'. (DW)

* Right-wing extremists are using channels on the encrypted communication app Telegram to call for violence against government officials on Jan. 20, the day President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated, with some extremists sharing knowledge of how to make, conceal and use homemade guns and bombs. (NBC) Coup attempt.2. (DW) 

* ‘They Got a Officer!’: How a Mob Dragged and Beat Police at the Capitol (NYT) Coup attempt.1. (DW)

* To save American democracy, truth needs to beat fantasy (WashPo) We're in trouble. (DW)

* State Capitols ‘on High Alert,’ Fearing More Violence (NYT) No shit. (DW)

* Twitter purged more than 70,000 accounts affiliated with QAnon following Capitol riot (WashPo) Too little, too late. (DW)

* Parler Faces Obstacles to Getting Back Online (WSJ) Elephant tears. (DW)

* Warp Speed will urge vaccination of adults 65 and older, those with preexisting conditions (WashPo) Breaking news. (DW)

* Environmentalists make a case for leaving fossil fuels in the ground (Reuters) Back to the Future. (DW)

* Georgia Adds Swastika, Middle Finger To State Flag (The Onion) No comment. (DW)

***

"Highway Patrolman"

My name is Joe Roberts I work for the state 
I'm a sergeant out of Perrineville barracks number 8 
I always done an honest job as honest as I could 
I got a brother named Franky and Franky ain't no good 

Now ever since we was young kids it's been the same come down 
I get a call on the short wave Franky's in trouble downtown
Well if it was any other man, I'd put him straight away 
But when it's your brother sometimes you look the other way 

Yeah, me and Franky laughin' and drinkin' nothin' feels better than blood on blood 
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood" 
I catch him when he's strayin' like any brother would 
Man turns his back on his family well he just ain't no good 

Well Franky went in the army back in 1965 I got a farm deferment settled down took Maria for my wife 
But them wheat prices kept on droppin' 'til it was like we were gettin' robbed 
Franky came home in '68 and me I took this job 

Yeah we're laughin' and drinkin' nothin' feels better than blood on blood 
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood" 
I catch him when he's strayin', teach him how to walk that line 
Man turns his back on his family he ain't no friend of mine 

Well, the night was like any other, I got a call 'bout quarter to nine 
There was trouble in a roadhouse out on the Michigan line 
There was a kid lyin' on the floor lookin' bad, bleedin' hard from his head
There was a girl cryin' at a table, and it was Frank they said
Well I went out and I jumped in my car and I hit the lights 
Well, I must've done 110 through Michigan County that night 

It was out at the crossroads down round Willow Bank 
Seen a Buick with Ohio plates behind the wheel was Frank 
Well I chased him through them county roads 'til a sign said Canadian border 5 miles from here 
I pulled over the side of the highway and watched his taillights disappear 

Me and Franky laughin' and drinkin' nothin' feels better than blood on blood 
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood" 
I catch him when he's strayin' like any brother would 
Man turns his back on his family well he just ain't no good

-30-

Friends With You

My two oldest grandsons, who are 14 and 12, both enjoy solving the Rubik's Cube puzzle. Watching them do this is one of the sweet pleasures in my life.  

For those unfamiliar with the cube, it requires memorizing a series of algorithms to align by color the nine square panels on each of the cube's six sides so that you end up with one side that is all white, another all yellow, another all red, etc.

This 3-D puzzle was created by Hungarian sculptor and architecture professor Ernő Rubik in 1974 and has long since been the world's best-selling toy. While children are working out the solution, they tend to develop a facial expression that is simultaneously focused yet distant.

As they improve, their hand-eye coordination becomes smoothly instinctive. Watching them is like seeing visual poetry, athletic achievement and pure human beauty all mushed together.  

It takes my breath away.

It also is a reaffirmation of the vast human potential to solve problems, no matter how challenging they may appear to be in the present moment.

***

During the very rough days ahead, I fear we are all going to need such inspiration to make it through. Let me start this by saying I hope I am wrong.

But the deeper I probed the current political crisis in America the more concerned I became. Checking a few trusted friends and sources quickly evolved into activating a broad network of people spanning the law enforcement, intelligence, academic, activist, political and media communities and it was a sobering experience.

The consensus of this group was not what I wanted to hear -- that we are in the early stages of what may well prove to be a protracted civil war. If the people informing me are correct, it is most likely going to be violent, disruptive and virtually impossible for our leaders to contain.

I've witnessed myself the sight of caravans of armed civilians in pickup trucks with flags waving, camouflage clothing and weapons roaming our highways. It is neither quaint nor harmless. They are, according to intelligence assessments, potentially the equivalent of America's Taliban -- fundamentalists bent on destroying democracy based on their perception of a threat to white supremacy and their twisted sense of entitlement.

They are poised to act, waiting on a sign.

This is precisely what happened on January 6th and I am reliably informed it's about to happen again.

These folks are not going to slip quietly back into their homes if the political establishment follows through on its threats to banish their leader, Donald J. Trump from public life. Rather, he will continue serve as a lightning rod -- their martyr and purported savior and they will continue to follow him with a religious fervor that is terrifying to behold.

As an editor, I've worked with many reporters covering numerous peaceful demonstrations that were disrupted by the likes of Antifa and its right-wing equivalent, the Neo-nazis and other hate groups. Both extremes resemble each other much more than they do the great majority of conservatives and liberals who believe in peaceful assembly and speech. 

But though relatively small in numbers, their potential to provoke their larger cohort to do harm is enormous. Again, my sources reference January 6th. We all need to study carefully what happened that day.

The essence of our democracy depends on citizens peacefully resolving our differences on politics and religion without resorting to violence. And on accepting the legitimacy of our elections.

I fear that in the coming days that very essence of our democratic process is going to be sorely tested. I hope I am wrong so bad that it hurts. It really hurts.

***

The headlines:

* The FBI is warning of plans for armed protests at all 50 state capitals and in Washington in the days leading up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, stoking fears of more bloodshed after last week’s deadly siege at the U.S. Capitol. An internal FBI bulletin warned that, as of Sunday, the nationwide protests may start later this week and extend through Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration, according to two law enforcement officials who read details of the memo to The Associated Press. Investigators believe some of the people are members of some extremist groups, the officials said. (AP)

* Up to 15,000 National Guard members could be deployed in D.C. during inauguration (WashPo)

* State capitols across the nation stepped up security Monday, deploying National Guard units, SWAT teams and extra police officers as several legislatures convened amid heightened safety concerns... (AP)

* Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser urged Americans to avoid the city during President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration next week during a news conference on Monday. (CNN)

* Police Reassess Security for Inauguration and Demonstrations After Capitol Attack (NYT)

* Even as rioters violently overran his forces, outgoing Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund said in an exclusive interview, the sergeants at arms for the House and Senate took more than an hour to approve his request. (WashPo)

* After days of silence, Trump signed a proclamation on Sunday to honor two United States Capitol police officers ― one of whom died at the hands of the mob he incited. Trump and the White House hadn't acknowledged Brian D. Sicknick’s death before Sunday, and didn't refer to how he died. U.S. Capitol Police, meanwhile, announced the death of another officer, bringing the law enforcement toll from Wednesday’s violent siege to two. [HuffPost]

* The Art of the Lie? The Bigger the Better (NYT)

* Trump’s incitement of a riot is a violation of the separation of powers that threatens the foundation of the Republic. (NYT)

* Two men who allegedly held zip ties in Capitol during riots being investigated by U.S. counterterrorism prosecutors (WashPo)

* A Georgia man, Cleveland Grover Meredith Jr., texted people his intentions to shoot Pelosi “on live TV” while making his way to the nation’s capital with an assault rifle for Wednesday’s pro-Trump rally. He was arrested at a Washington hotel Thursday. Meredith’s alleged text messages included him bragging of having a “ton of 5.56 armor piercing ammo” and wanting to run over the Democratic leader. [HuffPost]

* Dozens have been charged in the days since a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, disrupting the certification of the 2020 presidential election results. (NYT)

* The Capitol mob: A raging collection of grievances and disillusionment (WashPo)

* In the wake of the attack on Capitol Hill last week, and myriad questions about how rioters breached the building and what is happening in response, federal law enforcement agencies have yet to brief the public directly. The U.S. Capitol Police, FBI, Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security have yet to hold a press conference since Wednesday's incursion into one of America's most iconic buildings, prompting calls from lawmakers to call briefings for the public and Congress. (CNN)

* Video shows mob dragging a police officer down stairs. One rioter beat the officer with an American flag pole. (WashPo)

* Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf resigns (CNN)

* Arnold Schwarzenegger said Trump will be remembered as the “worst president ever,” after his supporters rioted. Schwarzenegger, who was born in Austria two years after the end of World War II, compared the Capitol siege takeover to Kristallnacht in 1938, the aftermath of which he said reverberated throughout his own childhood decades later. [HuffPost] 

* Michigan bans open carry of guns inside state Capitol (AP)

* New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has announced that he is declining the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which he was scheduled to receive from Trump on Thursday. Belichick cited the "tragic events of last week" as leading to his decision. Pro-Trump riotersrampaged in the US Capitol last Wednesday. Five people died as a result of the chaos, including a US Capitol Police officer. House Democrats want to impeach Trump, accusing him of "incitement of insurrection." (CNN)

*

Wall Street distances itself from Trump, GOP after riots (AP)

* 

New York State Bar Association Considers Expelling Rudy Giuliani (NPR)

* Insurer, hotel chain say they won’t donate to lawmakers who opposed electoral college results (WashPo)

* Thousands of lawyers and law school alumni on Sunday signed an open letter calling for Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to be disbarred over their leading roles in the effort to undermine Congress’ certification of the Electoral College vote declaring President-elect Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 race. [HuffPost]

* In California, there are two Covid-19 surges, one north and one south. In the L.A. area about 30-40% of people in public are not wearing masks; in the S.F. Bay Area, that figure is only 5-10%. (NYT)

* Trump returns Cuba to U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism (Reuters)

* China: WHO experts arriving Thursday for virus origins probe (AP)

* The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on several Ukrainian individuals and entities, accusing them of U.S. election interference and associating with a pro-Russian Ukrainian lawmaker linked to efforts by President Donald Trump's allies to dig up dirt on President-elect Joe Biden and his son. (Reuters)

* Populist, Prisoner, President: A Convicted Kidnapper Wins Kyrgyzstan Election (NYT)

* D.C. Police Preemptively Deploy 3 Officers For Inauguration Day (The Onion)

* FBI Narrows Down Identity Of Red-Faced Man Carrying Confederate Flag Through Capitol To Millions Of Americans (The Onion)

***

"All I Really Want To Do"

I ain't lookin' to compete with you
Beat or cheat or mistreat you
Simplify you, classify you
Deny, defy or crucify you
All I really want to do
Is, baby, be friends with you.

No, and I ain't lookin' to fight with you
Frighten you or tighten you
Drag you down or drain you down
Chain you down or bring you down
All I really want to do
Is, baby, be friends with you.

I ain't lookin' to block you up
Shock or knock or lock you up
Analyze you, categorize you
Finalize you or advertise you
All I really want to do
Is, baby, be friends with you.

I don't want to straight-face you
Race or chase you, track or trace you
Or disgrace you or displace you
Or define you or confine you
All I really want to do
Is, baby, be friends with you.

I don't want to meet your kin
Make you spin or do you in
Or select you or dissect you
Or inspect you or reject you
All I really want to do
Is, baby, be friends with you.

I don't want to fake you out
Take or shake or forsake you out
I ain't lookin' for you to feel like me
See like me or be like me
All I really want to do
Is, baby, be friends with you.

-- Bob Dylan

-30-

-30- 

Snake Eyes

(Image courtesy of wiki commons)

I wish we could fast-forward 50 years from now and look back on this moment, but unless someone perfects time travel pretty soon, that is not going to happen. So we are stuck instead with real-time analysis as our only option.

Welcome to the life of a journalist, an intelligence agent, or anyone else with a stake in figuring out the "first rough draft of history" as it is occurring.

It is always going to be difficult to do this work with integrity. Last night, I nearly posted a video that was circulating among the right-wing extremist community that participated in the January 6th Capitol riot and is now plotting its next moves.

The video was hosted on Parler.

But I hesitated, partly because I had identified the person who made it and had contacted him and was waiting for his comment. That's how we operate as journalists; we try to be fair.

Then, at midnight, the video disappeared when Parler was shut down by Amazon, Apple and Google.  Luckily, our friends at Journal of the Plague have preserved it here: <https://www.journaloftheplagueyear.ink/blog/trump-of-the-will>.

The video is instructive in understanding what will be happening over the coming days, as the Trump extremist fringe plots its revenge. Though amateurish in its mixing and editing, the film adopts the tone and content of a fascist diatribe, worshiping Trump and recruiting people to take anti-inauguration action on Trump's behalf on January 20th.

***

Here's the problem  as I see it. As the evidence comes in about just how violent the January 6th incident actually was, Democrats are getting angrier and angrier. They justifiably feel a responsibility to not allow such a heinous act occur on their watch. Plus they were the targets, so they are personally motivated to seek revenge.

They have to act.

So they will and they are. Pence will either agree to invoke the 25th Amendment (a long shot) or they will vote to impeach. If the political will and the votes are not there in the Senate to convict, they'll hold up the process until they take over control of the Senate on January 20th and pursue it then.

On the other side of the political divide, which is deeper and wider than the Grand Canyon, the right-wing has doubled down on its belief that the election was illegitimate and Trump is still the rightful President.

They will continue to follow his coded instructions and engage in insurrectionist acts for the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, the efforts to ban Trump's speech on social media will backfire, as I've been warning repeatedly, as it will only drive him  to take more extreme measures and convince his followers that he truly is the victim here.

And no one plays the victim better than Trump, all the while raising millions for his war chest.

Of course, no matter what Trump and his followers do, the U.S. military can easily put down any open rebellion, but it will become increasingly  difficult should they assume guerrilla tactics with hit and run bombings, shootings and kidnappings.

That, sadly, is what I see on the horizon.

I know there are some who will say I am using hyperbole here. I desperately hope they are right and my vision never comes to pass.

But the die have been cast and they turned up snake eyes.

The Next Attack

So roughly a third of the way through January, what's clear is that 2020 doesn't want to admit it lost the battle for a second term on New Year's Eve. It's demanding a recount and insisting there must have been fraud for 2021 to win, even though officials have checked the Times Square Ball over and over and they say it really did fall.

That's not good enough for 2020's true believers, however, because they know it's possible for that ball to get stuck. Hasn't anyone seen "New Year's Eve," the movie?

Sorry about that. But even if you don't like my sense of humor (I don't), you've got to admit I'm funnier than the real world is these days.

You know, there are times as a journalist that I truly wish I didn't find out some the things I do, because my inner tranquility might be enhanced by a greater degree of ignorance. But I keep finding out disturbing things anyway.

So on to reality. After an evening of checking and cross-checking with those in a position to know, here is the rundown:

A buildup of extremist threats and rhetoric similar to that detected prior to the January 6th assault on the U.S. Capitol is being monitored by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. This time, the noise suggests that a new wave of attacks will occur on or before Inauguration Day, which is January 20th.

The main targets this time appear to be state capitols like Sacramento, because Washington is finally armed to the teeth with police and military forces. 

The evidence I've seen is chilling and suggests that plans by right-wing extremists to violently protest Biden's ascension to power have reached advanced stages of planning. Fortunately, in the wake of the January 6th attack, U.S. intelligence agencies are now on extremely high alert and may be able to disrupt some of these plans.

***

The headlines:

* Pelosi is demanding that Pence begin the procedure mandated by the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office or she will initiate the impeachment process this week. (CNN)

* But the House may wait until after Biden's first 100 days in office to actually send the new impeachment articles to the Senate (CNN)

* The mob that stormed the capitol came from around the country with different affiliations — QAnon, Proud Boys, elected officials, everyday Americans — united by one allegiance to Trump. (NYT)

* Wide segments of the Democratic party are eager to see investigations and prosecutions of Trump and his allies, while President-elect Biden is taking a more measured approach. (NYT)

* Trump scrambles to find a new social network after Twitter ban. (WashPo)

* Many residents of Murdock, Minn., said they were horrified that an organization condemned by watchdogs as a white supremacist hate group would open a church. City leaders said they had little choice but to grant a permit. (NYT) 

*

Trump legacy on race shadowed by divisive rhetoric, actions (AP)

* Police departments across the U.S. open probes into whether their own members took part in the Capitol riot (WashPo)

* In a December call, Trump told a Georgia election investigator that the official would be a “national hero” for finding evidence of fraud. White House officials’ pressure on the federal prosecutor in Atlanta to resign was also revealed (NYT)

* With Democrats poised to take over, Supreme Court’s Breyer faces calls to retire (WashPo)

* In encounters with their constituents this week, Republican lawmakers have grappled with the consequences of their yearslong alliance with Trump: an angry, misinformed base. (NYT)

* 

Oil companies lock in drilling, challenging Biden on climate (AP)

* Hunting as a pastime spikes during pandemic. Conservationists are glad. (WashPo)

* Foreign ministers from the United States, Canada, Britain and Australia condemned last week's arrest of over 50 democracy activists in Hong Kong in a joint statement on Sunday, calling on China to respect the freedom of the people on the island. (Reuters)

* Singapore’s three major universities have reported zero cases of Covid-19. Their secret: technology, tough penalties and students willing to comply. (NYT) 

* How To Talk To Kids About The Riots At The U.S. Capitol (Mind/Shift - KQED)

* No Amount Of Training Could Have Prepared Cat For First Experience Seeing Mouse In Real Life (The Onion)

***

You really took me by surprise / You're someone I've needed for a lifetime

Your heart was cleverly disguised / But it didn't look that way in my mind

With no explanation / I gave you everything I had

I didn't know that you would take it / With sweet consideration

And after all that we've been through / I can't believe it's true

Until I hear you say

-- Written by: DAVID FOSTER, BECKIE FOSTER, BILL LABOUNTY, LINDA THOMPSON-JENNER

-30-

What Friends are For

 

This image is of an art project by my 11-year-old grandson, made from available materials. It represents a playground with play structures. There are no children in his piece.

When I asked him about this he said it just didn't occur to him to place children in his playground. So he is the artist and I am the commenter. He did not intend to make a comment. But I did.

As we continue our masked, socially distanced sheltering in place, it is worth considering the role of art in our understanding of this period.

Such art is all around us if we care to look.

For example, there is the pandemic dance. The other day, from a window, I watched a young woman talking with an older man up the street from where we live. I don't know either person.

They had apparently encountered one another while passing in the sun -- perhaps they knew each other, or perhaps not, I don't know.

Both wore masks. He was tall and white-haired; she was short and blond. She stood in the street, perhaps ten feet from where he was perched on the sidewalk.

I couldn't hear them, of course, just observe their body language. They had quite an extensive conversation. What was striking is that when a car would pass by, which was fairly often, the woman would move a few steps closer to the man, and he would step back to accommodate her and the proper distance.

Once the car was gone, she would return to the center of the road and he would return to the edge of the sidewalk.

A pandemic dance. Call it a work of contemporary art.

There are many other forms. The voices of young writers can be heard in new types of publications like the Journal of the Plague <https://www.journaloftheplagueyear.ink/blog/>. (Disclosure: I am on its advisory board and some of my essays appear there.)

As artists of all kinds find their way to capture the emotional reality of life in this pandemic, may we all find some comfort and new ways to cope.

***

Naturally, I was aware before posting yesterday's essay on free speech that it would trigger a firestorm of fierce debate, which did rapidly appear in the comments section. I welcome this debate, and especially the civil tone compared to similar conversations elsewhere, which usually dissolve into name-calling. 

I knew that by defending Trump's right to free speech I would offend many people, but I did so because the option of remaining silent does not exist for me. I didn't survive a stroke and resume speaking out to bullshit people; my commitment to everybody is to be your friend by telling the truth as I see it. 

The many critical comments did move me, however, to revise my essay several times, as I attempted to achieve the degree of specificity and balance I always strive for. Ultimately, however, I remain unsatisfied with my effort. This is difficult terrain.

What troubles me immensely is the emergence of a consensus on the part of reasonable people to support banning speech by the bad guys. Because I fear the consequences. What Trump caused to happen was awful but we cannot ruin our free society in response. Remember that the French Revolution started with lofty principles and gradually devolved to the point that those who convinced themselves that it was right to behead the royals lost their own heads as ever purer interpretations of ideological consent assumed supremacy.

My role, as I see it, is to raise issues like free speech and start difficult conversations. I do not require anyone to love me in that role. I am a far better Facebook friend to all of you by issuing a warning at this point than by going along with the majority view. So far as is possible, I will remain neutral when the inevitable ideological battles emerge, and I appreciate anyone who can understand that about me.

After all, that's what friends are for.

***

The news:

* The sacking of the Capitol was enabled by a host of factors including catastrophic security failures. But the temporary seizure of a global seat of power was, at its core, an outgrowth of delusional and destructive forces cultivated online and unleashed by President Trump. (WashPo)

* U.S. House Democrats to introduce Trump impeachment article on Monday (Reuters)

* Trump pressured Ga. elections investigator in a separate call that experts say could amount to obstruction  (WashPo)

* White House Forced Georgia U.S. Attorney to Resign (WSJ)

* Capitol security officials are escalating safety measures for members of Congress at airports after multiple incidents in which lawmakers have been harassed or threatened as they travel to and from Washington, according to notice obtained by Politico. (Twitter)

* More Than A Dozen GOP State Lawmakers Attended Rally That Gave Way To Riots (NPR)

* Pence has not ruled out 25th Amendment, source says (CNN)

* Trump Twitter ban will be ‘exploited’ by ‘enemies' of free speech 'around the world,’ Russian dissident Navalny (Fox)

* Historian Eric Foner’s wise suggestion- Instead of impeachment, 4 which there is no time,they should invoke section 3 of 14th Amendment, barring from office anyone who took an oath to constitution & subsequently engaged in or encouraged insurrection or rebellion.Majority vote. (Katrina vanden Heuvel / Twitter)

* U.S. governors work to speed up vaccinations, Biden pledges faster distribution (Reuters)

* Twitter warns of new plans for violence, brewing again on social media, as reason for Trump ban (WashPo)

* 'Hang Pence' trends on Twitter after Trump suspended for risk of 'violence' (Fox)

* Illinois Republican congresswoman apologizes for invoking Hitler as she faces calls to resign (CNN)

* Rioters breached the Capitol as they waved pro-police flags. Police support on the right may be eroding, experts warn. (WashPo) 

* U.S. motions expand drug claims against Honduras president (AP)

* 

In Central America, tensions rise as soldiers aim to stop migrants

 (Reuters)

* Mortality rate for black babies plummets when they’re delivered by black doctors, researchers say (WashPo)

***

Edward (after offering Vivian a condo): "Vivian, what is it you want? What do you see happening between us?"

Vivian: “ I don't know. When I was a little girl, my mama used to lock me in the attic when I was bad, which was pretty often. And I would- I would pretend I was a princess… trapped in a tower by a wicked queen. And then suddenly this knight… on a white horse with these colors flying would come charging up and draw his sword. And I would wave. And he would climb up the tower and rescue me. But never in all the time… that I had this dream did the knight say to me, “Come on, baby, I’ll put you up in a great condo.”

... (later)

Edward: "I want you to understand. I heard everything you said. It's all I am capable of right now. It's a very big step for me."

Vivian: "I know. It's a really good offer for a girl like me."

Edward: “I never treated you like a prostitute.”

Vivian (out of his hearing): “You just did.”

... (later)

Vivian: “I want the fairy tale.”

(from "Pretty Woman")

-30-