The Journey Inward Who Stormed The Capitol On Jan. 6, 2021? – The Transylvania Times

On Jan. 6, a mob of around 800 people who were composed of 93 percent white and 86 percent male entered the United States Capitol in support of Donald Trump.

Assumptions have been made about who these people were. One such assumption has been that the rioters were predominately right-wing militia groups, such as Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and Three Percenters. Another assumption is that rioters came from Red States and predominately rural counties. Some have suggested many were unemployed, lonely and isolated.

These assumptions are incorrect. Robert A. Pape, a political scientist professor at the University of Chicago and director of the Chicago Project on Security and Threats, has done extensive research on the people who were arrested after Jan. 6.

He writes that a closer look at the people suspected of taking part in the insurrection suggests a different and potentially far more dangerous problem: a new kind of violent mass movement in which normal Trump supporters middle class and, in many cases, middle-aged people without obvious ties to the far right joined with extremists in an attempt to overturn a presidential election.

I have seen Robert Pape being interviewed on Amapour and Company and I have read some of his articles on the subject. Fascinated by his findings, I will attempt to write about his analysis for this column, and if you are not familiar with his research, you, too, may find the following summary interesting.

Twenty researchers with the Chicago Project on Security and Threats worked with court records, analyzed the demographics and home county charac-teristics, socioeconomic traits, any militant group ties, prior criminal complaints, statement of facts, affidavits and media coverage of about 400 hundred Americans from 250 counties in 44 states, who were arrested or charged in the Capitol attack.

Pape and associates believed that a fine-grained comprehension of who attacked the Capitol, their beliefs, ideology and what kind of people they are and what their lives are like are crucial if we want to separate fact from fiction.

In an article The Capitol Rioters Arent Like Other Extremists in the Atlantic magazine Pape writes that four major findings stand out.

First: The overwhelming reason for action, cited again and again in court documents, was that arrestees were following Trumps orders to keep Congress from certi-fying Joe Biden as the presidential-election nom-inee.

In an interview with the FBI, a 37-year-old man from California said he was incredibly proud to be a patriot todayto support Trump and #MAGA forever and send the message: WE ARE NEVER CONCED-ING A STOLEN ELECTION.

Second: as already noted most rioters had no affiliation with far-right militias or white nationalist groups. Pape reports: Twenty of the Capitol arrestees we studied one 10th can be classified as supporters of gangs, militias or militia-like groups such as Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters.

Third: the average age of the arrestees was 40 years old. Of interest, 45 percent are business owners or hold white collar jobs; many of the alleged participants in the Capitol riot work as CEOs, shop owners, doctors, lawyers, IT specialists, accountants and one worked for the state department. These people had a lot to lose; but their outrage was palpable as indicated by camera footage. Only 25 percent were unemployed. A third had military training with expert knowledge in the use of weapons and military strategies.

Fourth: most did not come from rural areas. Of those arrested more than half came from counties that Biden won; one-sixth came from counties Trump won with less that 60 percent of the vote.

A third of suspected insurrections came from counties with large metropolitan areas, such as Dallas, San Francisco, Chicago and New York City, and another third from the outskirts of large metro areas.

If you presume that only the reddest parts of America produce potential insurrectionists, you would be incorrect, Pape said.

In a Washington Post column, Pape concludes that there is one overwhelming driver that led to the Jan. 6 riots: fear of the Great Replacement. Great Replacement theory holds that minorities are gradually replacing white populations due to mass immigration policies and low birth rates.

Replacement theory might help explain why such a high percentage of the rioters hail from counties with fast-rising, non-white populations. Many came from counties that Biden won handily which suggest there was a substantial number of non-white voters.

His report shows another disturbing result: 4 percent of Americans would resort to violent protests. That means 10 million Americans might participate in acts of violence in one form or another. This does not account for the millions who are not willing to participate in violence but believe in the so-called election steal. They are more passive. But if persuaded, they could join the ranks of the more militant.

Pape and his researchers present their work to drive home the necessity for law enforcement and all of us to recognize that there are many Americans willing to resort to violence against other Americans.

The research teams inference that the fear of the Great Replacement was the driving force of the riots seemed plausible but, in my view, was not confirmed by direct evidence. Still, it provides food for thought.

How does the report affect me, a white American? I am saddened that the United States is a deeply divided country. Not a day goes by that I dont experience an us versus them thought. This flame is fanned by cable news and the broadcasting of falsehood and misinformation by various political outlets. Even some of the Letters to the Editor in The Transyl-vania Times leave me asking. How could people think this way?

Also, as a white American do I have a fear of the Great Replacement namely that the rights of Blacks and Latinos are outpacing those of whites? Occasionally, there is a flutter of fear but that is not long-lasting. My more reasoned self knows that for too long the rights of people of color have been repressed. Even if I felt nostalgia when the statue of Robert E. Lee was removed in Richmond, I can understand how that statue and my position may be taken as offensive.

I also believe that a bedrock of democracy is an ability to promote our common welfare. Entrenched rage and animosity toward fellow Americans means other less polarized countries will outpace us, leading to more discontent. Incivility of discourse escalating into violence promotes division and hinders progress.

Finally, the study by the Chicago Project of Security and Threats helps me recognize that resistance to the advancement of minorities is based on fear. Fear is not objective reality. This invites those of us who are white to address our personal fear and to question whether our fear of replacement needs to govern our outrage.

We are in a time of flux and change. Let us help each other toward the common good.

(Dr John Campbell is a psychotherapist and past-oral counselor who practices in Brevard.)

Read the rest here:

The Journey Inward Who Stormed The Capitol On Jan. 6, 2021? - The Transylvania Times