I am writing this in the wake of a very rough and tumble week for the Republic and after much arguing and alienating people on social media with my posts. I wanted to take a step back and just write something to explain my perspective, why I believe it, and why it is essential for someone with differing views to just listen and understand where I’m coming from. If you don’t agree with me that’s fine. I don’t expect everyone to agree with me or I to agree with everyone but I do try to listen and understand where you are coming from. Listening and discussing does not obligate to agree. The only way to come to your own conclusions is to be as fully informed as possible.

The disconnect comes when I am attacked as being stupid or evil simply because I do not conform with another point of view. That is when my baser side comes out and I become snarky and mean and clap back. I know, I shouldn’t do that, but hey, I’m human and that’s what happens. Not an excuse, an explanation. I usually do not respond well to such statements as, “You can’t seriously believe the garbage you are saying…:” or “I can’t believe you drank the Koolaid. You’re better than that…,” or “…orange man bad…” arguments, and variations. I also do not respond well when I am attempting to explain my perspective, the other party exits the conversation with, “I’m done with you…” and runs off offended because I don’t immediately cave to their perspective.

I am writing this over a period of a few days so that I can get it all out and see how it sounds and try for as much clarity as I can. This will probably be a long article so I’m trying to take my time. I am doing this because I value discussion and the connections that I have on the various social media platforms I am on and I am trying to repair some of those connections with explanation and not excuse.

A little bit about me for those of you who don’t know me well. I am a retired law enforcement officer. My career spanned thirty some odd years and two jurisdictions. I have experience as a patrol officer, a canine officer, a narcotics investigator, a patrol supervisor, a patrol watch commander, a chief of staff supervising Internal Affairs, Public Information, and Budget office, a police academy instructor (Constitutional Law). After retirement from law enforcement, I taught criminal justice classes at a national university for several years. I also was a fraud investigator for an airline for a few years. In addition, I ran for sheriff in Maricopa County, Arizona, first as a Republican and then as an independent (a whole other story for a different discussion). I tell you all this so that you will have an idea that I form my conclusions not from hokey Internet sites (although I do peruse those for additional perspectives and entertainment) but from a place informed by experience and research. My concerns and calls for alarm come from a deeply embedded love of God, of my family, of my country and for our way of life.

I have many things that I can talk about concerning my growing alarm and dismay at what I am seeing happen, but I want to address the event of January 6, 2021. This seems to be the catalyst for some of the contacts that have written me off and refuse to talk to me any more. Before I go on, I want to take some responsibility for the deterioration of some of the conversations on my own social media feeds. I posted some things that were me thinking out loud so to speak and may have been misconstrued. When confronted, I reacted defensively and for that, I apologize. I do not apologize for my perspective or opinion. So here is my take without us shouting at each other:

After almost an entire year of riots, attacks on law enforcement, cities being burned down, people’s businesses and lives being burned to the ground, autonomous zones, attacks on federal courthouses, etc., all occurring with either tacit approval or outright encouragement from so-called Democrat leaders and activists, the idea that political violence is the only thing that will be heard and responded to was firmly engrained in our collective consciousness.

We all knew that there were objections to how the corona virus response was used to change election procedures. We all knew that a great many people were dubious about counts, poll watch procedures, Internet connected voting machines, algorithms, etc. The same people who spent the last 4 years telling the world that the current president was illegitimate now said that there was nothing to see and to just be quiet and accept that now there were no such problems. Censorship became a norm and discussion was shut down. Historically speaking, when there is no outlet for discussion and objection, there is a danger of less appropriate forms of expression being utilized. In fact, this was one of the arguments used to defend the rioters burning down American cities.

We knew that the Electoral College count was coming on January 6 and that a great many people expected to have those objections aired and debated. I knew that there was little chance of any overturning of the Electoral College’s decision. That has never happened in our history. We have only had two times where the House of Representatives had to make the choice and once where an agreement was struck. We have had objections to the counts in recent history. The difference this time was that there were Senate sponsors to the objection so there would be some public debate and the grievances could be aired. I was looking to that debate to further inform me if I was on the right track or not in my issues with the election in November. This would be the first time that the discussion and evidence would be in full view with institutions that had official authority from the U.S. Constitution. Most of the previous court cases were dismissed for standing without the merits being reviewed officially. The states in question refused to call their legislatures into session for official hearings so we were left with unofficial meetings that were not aired universally and were mocked by the very people that had put us through four years of Russian collusion, Ukrainian phone calls, and a constant drumbeat for impeachment. This would have been the first time that the discussion was going to be had officially and in full view. Is there a connection between this and the disruption that was caused? Who’s to say now, but I am asking the question.

We all knew that tensions were high and nerves were frayed. We have been hyper stimulated by a corrupt 24-hour, bread and circuses “news” media for many months. We have been barraged with all sorts of doomsday for the Republic scenarios from both sides of the political spectrum.

We also have a population that is not fully educated as to the actual operational procedures of our government. Civics class is a thing of the way past at this point and Constitutional government operation is seen as arcane. The corrupt news media convinced the uninformed that the objections to the electors was a constitutional threat when this remedy is written in the U.S. Constitution.

Tensions running high, a president with a flair for the melodramatic, a passionate crowd, what could happen? Stir in some troublemakers from the mob that torched cities over the past year who have been green lighted (green lit?) by Democrat governors, mayors, and members of Congress. Add a woefully, either unprepared or incompetent public safety team and disaster is all but certain.

After witnessing what happened and looking at the video that is available I believe that a sprinkling of agents provocateur in the crowd are the ones responsible for the spark that led to the chaos. I also believe that the actual damage to the building was done by members of a group that was not part of the pro-President Trump group.

I use “Antifa” as a catch all for these chaos causers because I do not believe that these people actually have a political agenda and are agents of chaos who go to these events to stir up trouble for the sake of chaos or whoever is paying their expenses. They are never articulate enough to string together a cogent thought whenever they are interviewed by the unintelligent talking heads of the news media. I believe that the leftist “burn it all down agenda” most comports with these agents of chaos, but they are not smart enough to have an actual thought. I point out that this “burn it all down” philosophy also applies to the racial suprematism movements, the various separatist movements, and the political radical movements as well. They are primarily identified as being “leftist” in my mind because that is where most of the visible support and apologetics is coming from these days.

I view the political spectrum more as a clock face than linear right and left with socialism/Marxism/communism falling at the 6:31 position, fascism at the 6:29 position, “American liberal” at the 11:59 position, and “American conservative” at the 12:01 position, with all the variants along the dial. “Far left” and “far right” are actually very close in ideology and tactics.

I do not excuse the mayhem, destruction, and death that occurred at the capitol building on Wednesday. Those responsible for all the crimes committed from vandalism to murder need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. However, I refuse to hold the President responsible for the criminal behavior of those individuals. Just as I did not blame Bernie Sanders for his supporter’s attack on Republican members of Congress at a baseball field.

Watching the available video, I observed actual President Trump supporters attempting to restrain the bad actors from fighting, breaking windows, and damaging property. The pro-Trump people who made it into the building (again, trespassed and should be prosecuted) for the most part walked around and took pictures. It was a few, not part of the group but wearing what is considered “MAGA” gear, that broke windows and battered at doors. There is no excuse, but there are explanations and there were outside forces that took advantage of an already “passionate” atmosphere to spark chaos.

Those that broke the law must be prosecuted and punished. I said that all last year about the riots and I’m saying it now. There is a great deal of hypocrisy from the left side with regard to their reaction to this event as opposed to their reaction all last year during the Seattle and Portland multi-month long riots, and all the other cities that burned. It was excused and now these same individuals are clutching their pearls and heading to the fainting couches over this event. Spare me your outrage, you’re a hypocrite if you excuse one and not the other.

I know this has been a long discussion but I felt that it was necessary to reach out and attempt to discuss where I’m coming from on this one issue. Thank you for your time.