Today is an anniversary of a demonstration on Capitol Hill. It was a fairly big deal, though not as severe as other historic events in the location which we will address in a moment. But the true significance of this date is the opening to the campaign that will result in the mid-term elections this coming November. Polling data suggests significant weakness for the Administration in economic issues. In order to overcome that weakness, the President, introduced by his Vice President, declared that the demonstration a year ago was worse than Pearl Harbor or the events of 9/11.
It is perhaps worth noting that it is said the target for the highjackers of Flight 93 was the Capitol itself. It would have been a quotation of one of the first acts of violence against our new capital during the War of 1812. It would have been a unifying moment, like the images from the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, had it happened. Due to the courage of the passengers, it did not.
This morning, the Vice President launched her remarks with unusually blunt condemnation of the Trump Administration. The President followed up with some inspirational remarks, reminding us of the American Civil War in terms of the horror of that demonstration. He said, among other examples, that one year ago this morning, the Confederates had returned to the Capitol and had utilized the US Flag as weapons. “Spears,” he said.
Since much of our political discourse these days rotates in terms of “whataboutism,” it is tempting to suggest that accusing a recent President of an act of treason is a new historic standard for solemn ceremonies. It was unprecedented in our experience with remarks from Statuary Hall in the Capitol.
So, turning to the Narrative, we ought to look at some what-abouts from history to ascertain where we stand in this election year.
September 18, 1783: President George Washington lays Capitol cornerstone. Slave labor and skilled craftsmen used in construction.
1800: Congress begins use of building, moving deliberations from Philadelphia to Washington.
1814: British troops burn Capitol, White House and other DC buildings, in retaliation for American troops burning structures in colonial Canada. All the buildings in both nations were eventually reconstructed.
May 22,1856: Violence erupts between Members on the floor of the Senate. Senator Brooks assaults Senator Sumner with a cane, rendering him nearly unconscious. Contemporary accounts suggest the use of “cane” was due to a 1839 law prohibiting duels between members of Congress after a death in Maryland.
1858: Fistfight breaks out between 30 congressmen.
1860: Pro-slavery congressmen threaten anti-slavery congressmen with pistols and canes.
1860: Southern States secede from Union on election of Abraham Lincoln. Total casualties are unknown, but generally estimated at around 600,000 dead.
1890: Fatal shooting in Capitol sparked by a feud between a reporter and a former congressman
July 2, 1915: Former Harvard professor plants 3 sticks of dynamite near the Senate State Reception room. The detonation at midnight injures no one.
March 1, 1954: Four Puerto Ricans open fire in House, injuring five congressmen.
March 1, 1971: Weather Underground detonates bomb in Senate causing $300,000 in damages.
November 7, 1983. “Armed Resistance Unit” detonates bomb on second floor of Senate Wing, no injuries, $250,000 in damages.
July 24, 1998: Special Agents John Gibson and Jacob Chestnut killed by Russell E. Weston who opened fire inside Capitol after running through metal detectors at door.
January 6, 2021: Hundreds protest presidential election results. No firearms used by protestors. One female protestor shot by Capitol Hill police, another crushed to death in crowd. Police reported injured.
This latest violence differs significantly from the 70-odd acts of recorded violence in the Capitol, in that apparently the Government hired some of the instigators, a pattern of recent conduct also reported in a recent plot to kidnap Michigan’s Governor. Government informants reportedly outnumbered alleged plotters.
The Writer’s Section at Refuge Farm noted the historic nature of the brief ceremony this morning. It is, of course, the start of a political campaign, and should be understood in a context of hyperbolic rhetoric. But it sets a stage for what will be an interesting political season. There is a lot at stake in it.
Since “truth” appears to have been one of the first casualties, regardless of which version you prefer, we can definitely expect some adventure in the months to come.
Copyright 2022 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com