None are so blind as those who refuse to see

| 4:00 pm EDT May 14, 2021
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Some people choose to see the January 6 insurrection differently, “choose” being the operative word. Anyone with sense saw that this event was clearly an assault on our democracy. Attorney General Merrick Garland can see it for what it was, telling the Senate Appropriations Committee: “I have not seen a more dangerous threat to democracy than the invasion of the Capitol.”

Huffington Post reported that Garland characterized white supremacy as “the greatest threat of domestic terrorism facing the U.S.” The thing is these people were always around, lurking in the shadows and hiding under bushes—until Donald Trump came along. He spoke power into their twisted beliefs, and they were all too happy to come out of their hiding places. The problem for them, however, is that the rest of us are not going to just sit idly by while they wreak havoc on our country. Just as Joe Biden is the right president at the right time, Merrick Garland is the right attorney general. He told the committee that the “Biden administration is dedicating increased resources to combating the threat.” Sadly, we must deal with Republicans who see what they want to see. According to Huff Post, Republicans “rejected” what Garland had to say and instead accused Democrats of trying to politicize the January 6 insurrection. In fact, some of them do not even see it as an insurrection.

NBC News reported that during the hearing, Andrew Clyde (R-GA) claimed that the insurrectionists “behaved in an orderly manner” while in the Capitol, which obviously depends on your definition of “orderly.” Clyde went on to say that he and other Republicans “helped barricade the door until almost 3 p.m. from the mob . . .” but because they did not breach the House floor, it “was not an insurrection.” That makes no sense whatsoever. Besides, they did breach the Senate floor and Nancy Pelosi’s office, and to paint them as anything other than the lawless criminals they are merely further emboldens them. If they were just “tourists,” as some Republicans try to paint them, why are over 400 of them now facing criminal charges? The FBI is not exactly bored and looking for something to do; those people broke the law and trying to show them as anything other than violent criminals is ludicrous. If anything, Republicans are politicizing the event by continuing to pretend it never happened.

Republicans can pretend to see things as they like, but Merrick Garland sees them with a realistic eye. When Richard Shelby (R-AL) asked Garland if he ignored racial protests regarding police brutality differently, Garland responded: “We don’t care what the ideology is. Violations of law are pursued and are prosecuted.” Besides, the protestors were not violent, but Garland went one step farther: “I think it’s fair to say that in my career as a judge, and in law enforcement, I have not seen a more dangerous threat to democracy than the invasion of the Capitol.” Republicans can stick that in their proverbial pipes and smoke it.