An Ohio Update on Trump’s Big Lie

In the post of last week, “The Big Lie…” and our national political disaster of January 6th, (https://wordpress.com/post/naturereligionconnection.org/6891), I ended by commenting on my apprehensions for the following Sunday and Inauguration Day. I was concerned that more of the Right-Wing Hitler-like Putsch would continue on those following occasions.

It did not! Not nationally nor locally did Insurrection or even demonstrations occur at a significant scale. Here locally in the Central O-H-I-O, that following Sunday witnessed a very minor event at The State Capital, one that was ironically made light of by our very decent newspaper, The Columbus Dispatch.

Only several dozens of demonstrators appeared and they were overwhelmingly outnumbered by police and state National Guard. It did begin ominously with the appearance at noon of an armed and marching contingent of “Boogaloo Boys”, but they quickly declared their intention to the police to be “peaceful” and merely to practice their right to bear arms.

(These boogaloos stressed to reporters that they were not “Proud Boys” nor were they there to support President Trump’s efforts to resist the results of the election.)

The Dispatch reporters ended their story with the wry observation that the demonstration started to wind down soon and was done by 3pm, leaving amply time for everyone to get home to watch the big professional football game involving the Cleveland Browns. Hey, even revolutionaries have a variety of priorities.

On the National Scene, two local men, ages 36 and 27, were arrested in Columbus and charged for their participation in the Capitol Building Riot. The men were initially approached by Capitol Police as they were waiting for an Uber ride to return them to their hotel after the incursion.

When they were informed the ride could not reach them in the security zone, they turned to walk further but one of them stopped to pick up the fancy wooden coat tree with brass hooks that stood near them. Police then (duhhh!) demanded he stop, but he dropped the coat tree and ran. The other man waited and cooperated with police and was found to be wearing an armored vest, and have in his backpack marihuana and an open bottle of good bourbon. Upon review of Capitol security tapes both the bourbon and, obviously, the coat tree were stolen in the “insurrection.” The spoils of war, I guess.