Looking at Numbers

There are 231 million adults in this country age 18 and over. According to a recent NPR article there were an estimated 8,000 "rioters" at the Capitol last Wednesday. I take exception to labeling everyone who was there as a rioter but using that number to do the math means that 0.003% of the adult population was in Washington to protest. Looking at it another way, 99.997% of us were not there. 

I still have not seen an estimate of the number of people who illegally entered the Capitol grounds and building, but doubt that it exceeded 500. If so that number represents 0.0002 of the adult population, and 6.25% of the 8000 present. It is those 500 people who are occupying nearly all of our attention since last Wednesday. Do 500 people really represent a threat to the country's security? To democracy? To our individual safety in the streets? Do the actions of 500 people qualify as an 'insurrection' or 'rebellion' as is being referred to? If we had taken proper security measures the violence would not have happened and history would have recorded that there was a peaceful demonstration of 8000 protestors on that day. Nothing more than that.

The wild card at the root of it all is Trump and his supporters. Some 74 million people voted for him...80 million did not. One number we don't have is how many of those 74 million who were not in Washington sympathized with and supported the 500? Certainly the number of Trump supporters has diminished...a recent poll indicates that 56% of those polled want Trump impeached - 43% do not, but he still has a significant number of backers out there. And they are not silent. Maribel and I know people who claim that the mob was paid by the Democrats to storm the Capitol, and lately that Martial Law was about to be declared, though details about who, when and where were missing. Conspiracy theorists are mostly content to flap their gums, posing no danger, but there are some who try to go further; to incite, which, with the help of Trump led to last Wednesday. 

We've grown too lenient with what we will tolerate. The Black Lives Matter movement as of late has inspired some of that. Police and politicians at all levels are bending over backward not to offend anyone. By doing that those of us who abide by the rules and follow the law are being victimized, and democracy is being bruised. Sometimes democracy, if it is to stand needs help. It may be that the '500' did us a service, by showing us that we've become lax. Hopefully we won't repeat that mistake.

(Later) It looks like I have been naïve in my estimation of the number of people involved in the Capitol storming, and in the depth of feeling among the Trumpers. Reports tonight indicate that 12 - 15 Capitol Hill police are being investigated for assisting the rioters. Also, an FBI bulletin reportedly states that evidence exists regarding planning for violent demonstrations in Washington and the capitals of all 50 states. Another troubling thought is that national guard members are citizen soldiers, with regular jobs and regular lives. Since nearly half of the voters voted for Trump, it follows that half of the national guard members also voted for Trump. Can they be trusted to put down an insurrection supporting Trump?