Thoughts After Reading "The Insurrectionists Next Door" Article

 

The words above resonated with me today. I came across this meme on Facebook just after reading an Atlantic story today, The Insurrectionists Next Door" by Hanna Rosin. The story delves into Hanna and her partner, Lauren's, friendship (maybe relationship is a better term than friendship?) that developed with Ashli Babbitt's mother and the wife of a January 6 rioter. Hanna and Lauren are both journalists and had a rare opportunity to get to know Nicole Reffitt (Guy Reffitt was the first January 6th rioter to be tried for his actions) and Micki Witthoeft, Ashli Babbitt's mom. Ashli Babbitt was shot as she tried to enter the Capital Building through a broken window.

I will say this the in-depth look at the J6ers is probably the first real article I have read that delves so deeply into the psyche of the rioters. It is scary how they believe in conspiracies. Most of them do not understand what they did wrong that day. Reading how Micki Witthoeft evolved from a non-political person enjoying her life to someone whose grief has resulted in her embroiling herself in the J6ers lives and seeing herself as an advocate is unsettling. They all see themselves as victims and genuinely believed they were saving the United States from a stolen election. Witthoeft believes that the shooting officer, cleared of wrongdoing, should be tried for the murder of her daughter.

My conservative friends may want to stop reading at this point as I am going into full opinion mode here on out.

It is hard for me to understand how we have a subset of our population that believes illegal entry into a building, any building, does not have consequences. That we can turn an illegal act into victimization. Yet, this is exactly what former President Trump does every day. He only does everything right and if something is not perfect, he will point the finger at someone else. Today, he is blaming Harris-Walz for the second assassination attempt on his life. It is good news that the suspect never had former President Trump within his site and did not fire shots before being found by Secret Service officers.

And the Republican Vice President Nominee, J.D. Vance, believes it is within his right to make up stories (fake news) to get points across to the American people. The only point I get is that I do not want a President and a Vice President who make up fake news and try to sell it to Americans. I am encouraged though by town officials in Aurora, Colorado and Springfield, Ohio who are ‘correcting the record.’ Meanwhile, the lie has taken hold with radical factions who are threatening the residents of Springfield including bomb threats to schools.

The irony. Harris-Walz somehow are causing political discord which former President Trump says is responsible for an assassination attempt, while he and Vance’s lies are clearly impacting Springfield, Ohio’s residents. Please.