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]

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.”
4/ The taunting grew. The drunk students fanned out, surrounding the three cadets. My friend’s father was now terrified.

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.’”
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.
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?
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.
Without justice, there is no republic.
https://t.co/HNStNOd7Y7

[END]

More from Greg Olear

More from Government

The Government is making the same mistakes as it did in the first wave. Except with knowledge.

A thread.


The Government's strategy at the beginning of the pandemic was to 'cocoon' the vulnerable (e.g. those in care homes). This was a 'herd immunity' strategy. This interview is from


This strategy failed. It is impossible to 'cocoon' the vulnerable, as Covid is passed from younger people to older, more vulnerable people.

We can see this playing out through heatmaps. e.g. these heatmaps from the second


The Government then decided to change its strategy to 'preventing a second wave that overwhelms the NHS'. This was announced on 8 June in Parliament.

This is not the same as 'preventing a second wave'.

https://t.co/DPWiJbCKRm


The Academy of Medical Scientists published a report on 14 July 'Preparing for a Challenging Winter' commissioned by the Chief Scientific Adviser that set out what needed to be done in order to prevent a catastrophe over the winter

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