The View from the Hermitage, Day 303

There seems to be more political than coronavirus news right now, but the two can and do overlap. Three Congresspeople have now tested positive for covid-19 in the wake of the Capitol riot. One was quite up front about blaming Republican colleagues who, when offered masks, declined and expressed scorn toward those wearing them. I'm not sure what number or percent of cases is needed for super-spreader status, but it sounds as if the Capitol riot is on the way.

In other coronavirus news, three gorillas at the San Diego Zoo have tested positive for covid-19. They are believed to have caught it from an asymptomatic zookeeper. Both gorillas and zookeeper are expected to survive. These are the first covid cases reported among great apes. 

Random other news before digging in to the political pile: I never thought I'd be saying positive things about Bill Belichick, the coach of the NFL's New England Patriots, but that was before he declined to accept the Presidential Medal of Freedom from The Lame Duck, saying that he had to stay "true for the people, team, and country I love." He cited the summer's racial equity protests as opening the door to new and needed dialog for his team.

On the political front, only the gods and goddesses know what the next eight days hold. The state capitols are on high alert after calls for actions in all 50 capitols on Sunday, January 17. The attorney general of Michigan has already declared the state capitol to be unsafe and advised the public to stay away from it. The FBI has distributed a bulletin warning of armed protests at all capitols. January 17 also opens several days of protests, culminating in the Million Militia March in Washington, DC on Inauguration Day. Heide Bierich, co-founder of the Global Project against Hate and Extremism said, "I don't want to be an alarmist, but I worry about a mass casualty event at the Inauguration."  She's not the only one. I think the chosen inaugural theme of "America United" may be very wishful thinking. 

The responsible powers that be are considering various scenarios for the days around the inauguration. One of the more troubling ones being considered is insurrectionists forming perimeters around the Capitol, the White House, and the Supreme Court, blocking Democrats from entering. I can see how this could quickly evolve or devolve into the mass casualty event mentioned above. 

Further complicating planning for the unknown is that several Capitol Police officers have been suspended, and more than a dozen others are under eight separate investigations for things such as social media messages of support for the rally turned riot. One officer allegedly posted "inappropriate" images of Uncle Joe that have now been deleted. Rumor has it that some military personnel are also being investigated. In other words, there may be foxes guarding the chicken coop. 

I spent the summer of 1975 on a study-abroad program in Madrid, Spain. Taking a walk on my first night there, I was taken aback by the sight of soldiers or police patrolling the streets carrying uzis. This was when Basque terrorism was a very real concern. In Vietnam, there were soldiers in guard kiosks outside government buildings with rifle barrels visible sticking out of the windows. Taking photographs, even of something across the street from a government building, will get you up close and personal with one of the soldiers (don't ask me how I know this). I am not ready for those sights here. The Capitol surrounded by a chain link fence--or a functional rather than decorative fence of any kind--makes me wonder if we will ever recover from these past four years. What happens in the next eight days will tell us a lot.