“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear”.
Watched The Committee Investigating the Jan 6th Attack on The US Capital Building. My family and I had also seen the attack happen on that day, having noticed one significant thing…Where were the Police that was supposed to be protecting the Capital Building and the officials carrying out official business that day?
A siege upon this symbol of Democracy, this siege occurred over 5-6 hours. The Police Authorities had every opportunity to stop this siege, but they did not. Why were the various Security Forces absent?
At full force, The Capital Police Department has 1,800 Officers. Mayor Muriel Bowser asked The Attorney General, The Secretary of The Army and the acting Secretary of Defense if the Federal Government has deployed significant Officers for the protection of The District of Columbia, and whether DC Police were required to assist. The US Park Police, US Capital Police and The Secret Service were said to be deployed, yet thousands of violent protesters were able to invade the Capital Building and threaten US Government Officials. What was going on?
President Trump was a very unpredictable taskmaster, capable of firing any official He wish to. The Heads of the various Police and Security Agencies were simply afraid of carrying out their jobs, ordering their officers to disperse the protesters and protect the Capital. Yes, there can be no other reason this violent fiasco carried on for so many hours. The Heads of The Capital Police, DC Police, Secret Service, FBI and other Agencies protected their positions by not acting in accordance with their oaths to protect the Capital…Serve and Protect. They feared what President Trump could do to their professional careers. They acted not for the benefit of the City and Capital, but for their own benefit and self-interest. Everyone in America knew that something was going to happen in D.C. on Dec 6th. Trump, Himself tweeted to his followers to be in D.C. for some crazy times.
Many Politicians love to claim their Police Departments are free of undue political influence, but we can certainly believe that the Heads of Police/Security Agencies are appointed by Mayors, Governors and Presidents too. The courage of those officers in D.C. that attempted to protect their government, has been blemished by the selfish inaction of their Commanding Officers of High Rank.
These past few years we have experienced police actions and inaction creating a crisis of public trust in those who protect us. The mass murder of children in Texas, where for one hour the police seemed to stand by as crime escalated. The Trucker Convoy in Ottawa was allowed to happen because the police were not able to make sound judgements on what to do. Dec 6th could have been just another protest instead of an insurrection and assault upon American Democracy. Can the Police do their jobs fully, while their Commands(Higher Up’s) are afraid of political interference and manipulation?
All Police Departments depend upon the leadership, inspiration and Control of their Command. If the Command Structure does not work for whatever reason, the Officers on the streets are on their own.
Many Police Commands are led by weak, lacking Commanders, such as Ottawa’s Police Department during the 3 weeks of The Truckers Protests. Commanders who fear political judgement(from Federal, Regional and City), will fail to issue commands that could put them into unwanted light of public scrutiny.
A clear break is needed, separating Police Command from Political entanglements and influence. Real transparency with severe accountability is needed.
Steven Kaszab
Bradford, Ontario
[email protected]
