From an early age, I was taught to obey the police.
Now, too many years later, I still do. That means I do what they tell me to do and I try to obey the rules. After all, it it one of the basic tenets of American civilization for the last two and a half centuries.
So, for a moment, for fun’s sake, let's take politics out of the events of Jan. 6. Let's not discuss if it was a riot instigated by former President Trump or even Speaker Pelosi, or for that matter any other politician.
Let's just discuss why hundreds and maybe thousands of Americans who consider themselves patriots and say they are believers in all that is good in this country and are big proponents of Blue Lives Matter, would attack the Capitol building and attack the police who were protecting it.
Let's talk about the fact that these rioters used almost any weapon they could get their hands on to beat, strangle, punch and kick the men and women in blue who were doing their jobs and protecting a building and the lawmakers within it.
As I listened to one cop after another speak to the House Select Committee investigating the violence on that day, I realized that it does not matter who sent these people to the Capitol. What matters is these people, yes many many of them wearing pro-Trump garb or carrying pro-Trump flags, were attacking the people they claim to admire most.
Don't try to tell me that these events did not happen. Or that Antifa or the far left were actually behind the riots. I know some people who were there and I know their allegiances. I saw the videos, over and over again. I know who led this attack on America.
To me, these are not patriots. No, to me these are people who decided that they were going to take matters into their own hands and create a new America, one that I think would not be good for most of us.
The real patriots were the police who fought back defending their building and the people inside of it. And, the real patriots are all the good people in this country who are now standing up and saying enough.
Just like other attacks on America, Jan. 6 can not be allowed to happen again. We must learn from what happened and take steps to prevent it from happening again.
Just my angle.