Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Today, the U.S. Congress said their final farewell to former Capitol Hill Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick—who was beaten to death, with a fire extinguisher, by the Maga Mob who invaded Capitol Hill on Jan. 6 in an attempted coup to keep Donald Trump in power.
The death of Officer Sicknick, and the silence by those who claim to uphold “law and order,” tells us much about the racist double-standards in America.
President Joe Biden, Vice-President Kamala Harris, Nancy Pelosi, Mitch McConnell, and others today paid their respects to this officer who lost his life defending the Capitol against the Trump terrorists. But the person who incited the mob of white supremacists who murdered Officer Sicknick was not present today. Not that anyone missed him.
However, Trump’s absence from today’s acknowledgment of the value of Officer Sicknick’s life is another example of the glaring insincerity of those, like Trump, who like to claim that “Blue Lives Matter.”
During his racist attacks on Black football players, like Colin Kaepernick, Trump pretended to care about police officers. And, many police officers, and their backward unions, enthusiastically endorsed Trump in the runup to the 2020 Election. Yet these people, who pretend to be upstanding folk, didn’t denounce the attacks on police officers by Trump’s supporters at the Capitol.
Trump, the police unions, and other police apologists, constantly condemn those protesting racial policing. We hear them complain about how police are purportedly being unjustly targeted. So, isn’t it interesting how these phonies have lost their tongues when it comes to the abuse Capitol Hill Police faced from Trump’s supporters?
Here is something to ponder: what if Officer Sicknick was really beaten to death with the fire extinguisher by a police officer who was among the mob of marauders?
This is a possibility we must consider. We know many police officers—along with military members—were among those seeking to overthrow the government. Since 2006, the FBI has stated that American policing has a white supremacist problem with infiltration by what they termed as “Ghost Skin,” meaning covert white supremacists who gain employment on police forces and in other law enforcement agencies.
It seems pretty clear these types of officers were present and engaged in the Jan. 6 insurrection. Isn’t it time to root out these agents of white supremacy from policing?
Recently, there has been some speculation that many police organizations care little about the attack on the Capitol Hill Police because of the numbers of Blacks on that force. Moreover, a ProPublica article detailed stories of Black Capitol Police officers who have been complaining about the intolerable levels of racist attacks they have been facing for years without redress.
Beside the white officers who were among Trump’s mob, we must also find out how many white officers on the Capitol Hill Police possibly aided-and-abetted the insurrectionists.
We know several officers have been fired for likely complicity including: one waving a Confederate flag, one talking selfies with the mob, and one wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat—while directing the rioters. At least 12 Capitol Hill officers are under investigation for helping the Maga Mob.
So, what we see here is that racism and white supremacy trumps all.
What else explains the lack of outrage from other police departments and unions regarding the attacks against police that left Officer Sicknick dead—and lead to the suicide deaths of Capitol Police Officer Howard Liebengood and D.C. Police Officer Jeffrey Smith.
The Republican Party has been fully exposed in this moment as an immoral party that cares only about winning elections at all cost. We have heard little denunciations from the GOP regarding the lawlessness actions that were incited by their leader Donald Trump.
Republicans, in the supposed “rule of law” party are now telling us there should be no impeachment because Trump’s supporters may become more violent. So, Trump’s criminal incitement—and attempt to overthrow the government—should be excused because his white supremacist mob won’t like it? Is that really the GOP message?
Donald Trump should not only be convicted in his impeachment trial. He should be criminally charged for his treasonous actions too. Do Americans really realize how close the nation came to a bloodbath—and to a Trump dictatorship?
Recently, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was close to tears as she recounted what she thought was going to be her last moments in life. As she hid from Trump’s terrorists, she could hear them pounding on doors and asking where she was.
And it wasn’t just the lives of Democrats that were at stake. We all know this mob swarmed into the Capitol Building saying, “hang Mike Pence,” while his wife and daughter were also present. And as Trump was watching his criminal handiwork play out on television, Pence was forced to send for the National Guard to preserve his live.
Aren’t Republicans even remotely ashamed by this? How can they continue protecting someone so disloyal that he would standby while the very life of his vice-president was in real danger by the hands of his followers? Or are they now even more afraid of losing their lives, at the hands of Republican voters, than losing primary elections?
What ever happened to the Republican mantra of “putting party before country?” Was there ever a time for Republicans to practice this expression they once liked preaching than now?
Donald Trump has committed many crimes and many outrages. Indeed, he should’ve been convicted in last year’s impeachment trial and removed from office then. If Republicans had practiced the principles they like to lecture us about that would’ve been the outcome—and America wouldn’t have endured Jan 6.
In the upcoming second impeachment of Donald Trump, this question should be asked of Republicans: how can a party that extols the virtue of “law and order” protect someone whose treasonous incitement caused the death of three police officers including Officer Brian Sicknick?
