Many of us, probably most of us, maybe even damn near all of us saw the January 6th medal ceremony which was a demonstration of character and integrity and a complete repudiation of Republicans and their craven, weak subservience to Trump from his nomination to his attempt at a coup even when it included Donald Trump inciting the insurrection and fomenting the attack on the Capitol, the seat of our nation's federal government.
There can be, to my mind, no doubt that the family did the right thing by not shaking the hands of those who in essence made common cause with and supported those who attacked the Capitol. Twitter has become a cesspool of lies and conspiracy theories. However, I from time to time go there to express my viewpoints and refute error, lies, and conspiracy theories. Somehow, when I opened my browser on my cell phone, I was on a thread in which Republicans Against Trumpism asked if what the families did at the medal ceremony was appropriate. I was not optimistic about the responses. However, pretty much every single response of the first thirty responses I read not only said it was appropriate, but they defended it and explained why in plain terms and in their explanations, I found my own core fundamental beliefs strengthened and encouraged. It's worth the time to read. I plan to add Bryan Tyler Cohen's short explication and defense of the family's choice to the diary as well. Even for the vast majority of us who are familiar with the event and understand why the choice was the only choice for people of character, I think you will find it refreshing. I certainly did! I suppose I will include the very best tweet responses since including all of them would make the diary quite long.
Brian:
This is a Congressional gold medal ceremony for police officers who served on January 6th in which representatives for those receiving the awards shake Democrat Chuck Schumer's hand before skipping right over Republicans Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy and among those people were the family of late police officer Brian Sicknick who died on January 7th, 2021 after having suffered two strokes one day after he responded to the attack on the Capitol.
Now, you will notice in this video Kevin McCarthy is standing there but doesn't even try to offer up his hands and the only reason that he doesn't also get rejected like Mitch McConnell is that he was smart enough to hold onto his box with both hands, knowing full well that had he extended his hand he would have also gotten denied.
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And I guess that's the thing here, at the end of the day, these people know full well who they are, what they represent, and what side they are on. They might put on a brave face and go through the motions of pretending that they are doing what's right, but even they know that they are complicity and spinelessness has caused all of this. Kevin McCarthy was right to keep his hand to himself considering that it is better that he not get the blood on anyone else.
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And here's the thing as far as Mitch McConnell was concerned, sure he'll come out and offer little swipes here and there at Trump and then bask in the spotlight of his new found bravery and courage, but the reason Donald Trump is still a force within the GOP, still the leader of that party today is because Mitch McConnell didn't whip a single vote against him during his impeachment trial, didn't even vote to convict him himself. Had Trump been convicted for inciting the events of January 6th which he very, very clearly did, then he would have been barred from running again for running for federal office. Instead, he decided not to vote to convict, only to turn around and make a sweeping speech about how he did incite the events of January 6th which would normally serve as the basis for a vote to convict but McConnell wanted to play both sides of the coin. He wanted to coddle Trump because he is a coward just like everybody else in that party who wouldn't dare out country over party and he wanted to signal to the donor base of the Republican Party that he is still a responsible Republican who obviously capable of discerning right from wrong. So, don't worry, keep those checks rolling in. Except now by virtue of allowing Trump to keep that power because he didn't hold him accountable when he had the chance, he is stuck answering questions about the leader of his party who has reached the point where he has called for the termination of the United States Constitution.
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Really healthy party, they've got, huh? Now here's what Brian Sicknick's brother, Ken Sicknick, said when asked about refusing to shake the hand of McConnell and McCarthy's hands:
And bear in mind, Ken has been forthright in saying that he is a lifelong Republican.
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Ken: So, they came out right away and condemned what happened on January 6th and whatever hold that Trump has on them, they backstepped and danced, they won't admit to wrongdoing not necessarily them themselves, but of Trump,of the rioters, I mean people like Louie Gohmert who presented an American flag that was flown over the Capitol to a January 6th rioter and told them they were a patriot. It's disgusting! It takes away everything my brother has done, takes away the heroism my brother showed... (Interrupted)
Reporter who interrupted Ken Sicknick: You don't think they deserved the handshake in this context?
Both father and brother of Brian Sicknick shake their hands negatively.
Ken: No because unlike Liz Cheney, they have no idea what integrity is. They can't stand up for what's right and wrong, with them it's party first. Liz gave up her political career to do what was right! She's the one ray of hope, her and the whole committee, that can show integrity, show they actually care about the process, about democracy, about everything that goes on and these guys are like if as long as it has a big R in front of it, we're going to do whatever.
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Brian Sicknick's mother, Gladys, also spoke out saying, "I don't understand how they can stand there.. They'll go down to Mar-a-lago & kiss his ring or whatever they do, down there. "
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Brain Tyler Cohen: In other words, we can all see through the empty rhetoric being passed around by Republicans because we have eyes and we can see what they do. And how it doesn't comport in the slightest with prepared remarks like this one by Kevin McCarthy:
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Kevin McCarthy:. I appreciate the House and the Senate for agreeing to use the rotunda to honor the Capitol Police and DC Police. Today, we pay tribute to their service and sacrifice on January 6th. These brave men and women in uniform stood strong in the line of duty for our country and we're forever grateful for that. This Congressional gold medal commemorates their courage, their professionalism, and patriotism.
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Brian Tyler Cohen: Yeah. I will be right back, just going to go vomit.
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And by the way, it's not like the feckless fealty to Donald Trump that enabled all of this is gone. HERE IS MITCH MCCONNELL TODAY FAILING TO RULE OUT VOTING FOR TRUMP IF HE'S THE NOMINEE
(Mitch McConnell): First, let me just say anyone seeking the presidency who thinks that the Constitution should somehow be suspended or not followed, it seems to me, would have a very hard time being sworn in as president of the United States…
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(Reporter): What about the second straight week you have come out in your press conference criticizing Donald Trump. Can you say categorically that you will not support him if he is the Republican nominee?
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Mitch McConnell (refuses to answer the question directly): What I am saying is that it would be pretty hard to be sworn in to the presidency if you're not willing to to uphold the Constitution. That's what I said and uh I just said it again.
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Brian Tyler Cohen: Just did say no! If the answer is no, why wouldn't you just say that? Instead, we get all these verbal gymnastics. The reality of the situation is that OF COURSE MITCH MCCONNELL WILL SUPPORT DONALD TRUMP IF HE'S THE NOMINEE BECAUSE MCCONNELL'S SOLE PRIORITY ISN'T THE CONSTITUTION, IT'S NOT OUR LAWS, IT'S NOT THE COUNTRY; IT'S THE REPUBLICAN PARTY'S PURSUIT OF POWER. THAT'S ALL! THERE IS NOTHING ELSE!!! So when you watch the family members of fallen officers like Brian Sicknick reject these Republican leaders, it's not out of partisanship. It's because those leaders not only embolden the guy who caused the insurrection in the first place, but they continue to embolden him. Again, these people cannot find one solitary vertebrae in their spines that will allow them to stand up to the guy who is responsible for those deaths on and after January 6th. The idea that they would ever expect a modicum of respect, much less a handshake from the victim's families is so fucking deluded that I am not able to wrap my mind around it. So good on these gold medal recipients for showing more courage's in the two seconds that it took to snub Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy than either one of those two men were able to display in the years since the January 6th attack took place. Maybe those Republicans can learn a thing or two about having some values although given what we have seen so far, I wouldn't exactly hold my breath.