My friend’s father went to the Virginia Military Institute, which is as hardcore as the name implies. He tells a story that has always stuck with me:
[THREAD]
[THREAD]
1/ The school had a rivalry with another school, I can’t remember which. My friend’s father was one of three cadets guarding the school’s canon during the big football game. The rival school thought it would be a funny prank to steal and/or deface the canon.
2/ A dozen or so drunken students came upon the three of them, guarding the canon. My friend’s father was a bit scared, because they were badly outnumbered. But the cadet in charge was not scared. At all. He stood there with his rifle, holding it as if to bludgeon.
3/ The drunk students approached, rowdily demanding that the cadets move so they could deface the canon.
“Stand down,” the cadet said.
The students got closer, grew rowdier. Now they were taunting.
“Stand down.”
“Stand down,” the cadet said.
The students got closer, grew rowdier. Now they were taunting.
“Stand down.”
4/ The taunting grew. The drunk students fanned out, surrounding the three cadets. My friend’s father was now terrified.
Again: “Stand down.”
Again: “Stand down.”
5/ Finally one of the drunk students made a run for the canon, trying to dash past the cadet. With one swift motion, the cadet swung the handle of the rifle, hard, smashing the jaw of the drunk student, who crumpled into a heap at his feet.
“I said, ‘Stand down.’”
“I said, ‘Stand down.’”
6/ The other students fled. The injured one cried. The canon was not defaced or stolen. The cadet did his job.
So: the VMI canon was better protected on that day in 1958 than the SCIF was when Matt Gaetz stormed it—and more secure that the fucking US CAPITOL was yesterday.
So: the VMI canon was better protected on that day in 1958 than the SCIF was when Matt Gaetz stormed it—and more secure that the fucking US CAPITOL was yesterday.
7/ I have waited four years for a deterrent that is the non-violent equivalent of the cadet breaking that drunk asshole’s jaw. No indictments for Trump, Kushner, his family, Rudy, etc. No consequences for ignoring subpoenas. No charges for having a pizza party at a SCIF.
8/ Instead, talk of “healing,” and the former FBI director, whose historic fuck-up handed the election to Trump, arguing that this brazen crook should not be charged.
It makes me sick. Why would any foreign adversary fear us now?
It makes me sick. Why would any foreign adversary fear us now?
9/ Congress, most of the time, is insulated from the outside world. I hope that yesterday’s brazen attempt at insurrection wakes them the fuck up. The strong statements from GOP like Mitt Romney and Liz Cheney are great, but we need ACTIONS now.
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