Is that where we’re headed?
Following the hearings that were held to examine what exactly happened during and leading up to the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill, a task force was established to make recommendations to improve security and prevent such unrest in the future. They’ve come back with their first findings now and one of the first suggestions on the list is a bit of an eye-opener. The team, led by retired Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré, suggests establishing a permanent National Guard unit in Washington, D.C. with the ability to respond quickly in the event of another attack of that sort. While that may seem like a fine idea at first glance, there are a number of factors that complicate the situation quite a bit. (Military.com) A task force charged with making recommendations to boost congressional security after a deadly Jan.6 pro-Trump mob assault on Capitol Hill has proposed establishing a permanent military presence ready to go at a moment’s notice in Washington, D.C. The security review, led by retired Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré, who ran military relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina, recommended establishing a permanent National Guard quick reaction force, or QRF, for all of D.C. A QRF is a standard military security element meant to provide swift reinforcements. Before addressing the complicating factors I mentioned above, I’d like to start off with a more fundamental question. Is this really where we are as a nation now? I would much prefer to think of the January 6 assault as an aberration that won’t be allowed to happen again, not the “new normal” of our highly divided society.
