We have often heard recently that the January 6 riot in Washington, D. C. was the ‘greatest threat to our democracy’ since the Civil War. Those who insist on pushing this line fit into three categories: 1) ignorant 2) stupid 3) have an agenda or narrative to proclaim.
I prefer to create a fourth category: a combination of all three (with number 2 heavily populated), all in support of political advantage. Those who have called January 6 an insurrection, without knowing or willfully ignoring historical facts are in search of an advantage over their political foes.
Our Civil War, was fought from 12 April 1861 to April 9 1865, killed over 620,000 Americans. To fit the description of ‘worse’ than that would mean actions which had many casualties and threatened public policy and order. What you will read here will show you just how ludicrous that claim is, presented in no order of worst or best. By no stretch of the imagination is this list an exhaustive one!
- Since a rebellion often includes the elimination of political leaders, three times since 1865, a President has been assassinated: James Garfield in 1881, William McKinley in 1901, and John Kennedy in 1963. ONE person was killed in the January 6 riot, but that was a veteran who participated in the riot and not a member of the ruling caste. No guns or weapons were recovered, and our President and *President-elect were well-protected.
Other well-known figures have been killed since 1865, people with both political power and aspirations. Included in this list were M. L. King, Jr., Robert Kennedy,and Malcom X. Ronald Reagan and George Wallace were severely injured by gunshot wounds.
- The summer of 1967 saw riots, killings and destruction in 158 American cities, with much more loss of life and property than anything seen on January 6, 2021. These, too, make a lie out of those who thought the Capitol riot, in the words of one, almost toppled our republic.
- Riots occurring in 1992, after the Rodney King incident in Los Angeles, and took three battalions of American soldiers to put down. Again, the loss of life, of livelihood and the destruction of neighborhoods put January 6 in the shade.
- What about the 1954 attack on the House of Representatives by Puerto Rican nationalists? On 1 March of that year, four people, three men and one woman, opened fire from the ‘ladies gallery’ of the House, using automatic and semi-automatic weapons spraying 30 rounds at the Representatives. Five were wounded, and one of those five barely survived. This attack on our form of government was far worse that the January 6 riot.
- A direct attack on our ability to govern ourselves was during the Democratic National Convention of 1968. Those who were mostly protesting the Vietnam War descended on the Windy City and precipitated ‘days of rage’, which ended with violence in the street, blood on the ground and a disrupted convention. If you were alive during that time, TV brought the police and rioters into our living rooms, making people wonder how long we could survive such turmoil in the nation’s Second City.
- September 11, 2001 saw Islamic terrorists attack the World Trade Center, a symbol to the) world of our way of life. In addition, the terrorists launched an attack on the Pentagon, the nerve center of our military, and another plane headed for the White House but crashed in Pennsylvania after several brave passengers attempted to overcome the hijackers. This was a far greater threat to us than a minor riot at the Capitol building where the so-called insurrectionists were not even armed.
- These are not all of the times when we have despaired of the survival of our republic, but they are ones that put to shame those who claim the January 6 riot was the ‘greatest’ threat since the Civil War.
Soon the House of Representatives will begin hearings on the January 6 riot. When they start, remember that this incident pales in comparison with other ‘threats’ to our way of life. Perhaps we should all contact our Representatives and demand the same level of scrutiny of the events following the George Floyd riots, looting, killings and general unrest of last summer. In Chicago alone, there were 15 homicides, 53 shooting victims, over 2,000 stores looted, 71 buildings set on fire and at least $165 million in damages suffered by businesses at the hands of BLM and Antifa rioters. In the capital building, most of the “rioters” were too busy taking selfies to do any damage to anything. At the very least, we should urge House members to go back to the history books to gain some measure of perspective.