Commentary

COMMENTARY: Witness by Witness, Truth of Jan. 6 Attack on Capitol Revealed

Then Trump tweeted: “Big protest in D.C, on January 6th. Be there. Will be wild.” Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D/Fla) called it a “siren call.” The Asian American member of Congress shared how she was the only member of the committee “who was not blessed to be born American.” She was born in Vietnam, from where her family fled a communist government and was rescued by the U.S. Navy and given sanctuary in America. She noted how decades later she was serving as a congresswoman and under attack on Jan. 6. It was another moment of context from an Asian American perspective that let us know that every American is a stakeholder in these hearings.

Published

2 years ago

July 18, 2022

Oakland Post

Emil Guillermo is a journalist and commentator. He does a talk show on www.amok.com

Emil Guillermo is a veteran journalist and commentator at www.amok.com

By Emil Guillermo

That James Webb Telescope is so amazing. NASA pointed it into the darkness of space, and suddenly saw the truth—-stars and galaxies we never knew existed.

At the speed of light, that’s a look back 13 billion years.

I wish all of America could see more clearly right here on Earth just about Jan. 6, 2021.

It doesn’t take a telescope.

You just need to keep watching the Jan. 6 Select Committee hearings.

If you think all that is nonsense for government nerds, consider the statement of Rep. Bennie Thompson, (D-Mississippi) the chair of the Jan. 6 Select Committee.

He knows how important it is especially for the African American community.

“I am from a part of the country where had it not been for the federal government and the Constitution, my parents and many more Americans like them would have continued to be treated as second-class citizens,” Thompson said. “The freedom to be able to vote without harassment, travel in relative safety, and dine and seat where you choose is because we have a government that looks over the wellbeing of its citizens.”

And that, Thompson said, did not happen on Jan. 6, 2022, on Trump’s watch.

“It was an attack on our country,” Thompson said. “An attack on our democracy, on our Constitution. A sitting president with a violent mob trying to stop the peaceful transfer of power from one president to another. It still makes my blood boil to think of it.”

Yours should be boiling, too. If you were hesitant to call Jan. 6 a planned coup, just watch the July 12 hearing. There’s more corroborating testimony from people in Trump’s inner circle like White House Counsel Pat Cipollone who knew what happened from December of 2020 leading up to Jan. 6.

The story is not good for our democracy. Trump knew he lost the election but kept searching for ways to hold on to power. Things became “unhinged” at a Dec. 18, 2020, meeting when Trump personal advisors Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and Michael Flynn (a.k.a. the “crazy ones”) suggested everything from foreign election interference to voting machine fraud to a massive rally with the most rabid Trump supporters.

Cipollone suggested conceding the loss. The argument was loud, but the normal Trump loyalists lost.

Then Trump tweeted: “Big protest in D.C, on January 6th. Be there. Will be wild.”

Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D/Fla) called it a “siren call.” The Asian American member of Congress shared how she was the only member of the committee “who was not blessed to be born American.” She was born in Vietnam, from where her family fled a communist government and was rescued by the U.S. Navy and given sanctuary in America.

She noted how decades later she was serving as a congresswoman and under attack on Jan. 6.

It was another moment of context from an Asian American perspective that let us know that every American is a stakeholder in these hearings.

Murphy also read text messages that Trump’s former campaign manager Brad Parscale wrote on Jan. 6.

“This is about Trump pushing for uncertainty in our country, a sitting president asking for a civil war,” Parscale texted to Katrina Pierson. “I feel guilty for helping him win.”

When Pierson tried to relieve him of blame, Parscale texted: “Yeah, but a woman is dead, and yeah, if I was Trump and I knew my rhetoric killed someone…”

When Pierson again pushed back, Parscale insisted it was the rhetoric that killed.

People of color know the acts of a killing mob, and this hearing featured the testimony of repentant rioters.

Jason Van Tatenhove, a former propagandist for the nationalist group, “The Oathkeepers,” warned that the country is “exceedingly lucky that more bloodshed did not happen because the potential was there from the start.” And it could get worse if Trump wins again.

Stephen Ayres, a Jan. 6 rioter who went to D.C. because he felt called by Trump, testified he feels lied to. He said Jan. 6 changed his life for the worse. He lost his job, and nearly his house. He warned Americans who still believe the ‘Big Lie’ to “take the (horse) blinders off.”

Doesn’t take a telescope to see how close a failed coup imperiled our democracy on Jan. 6.

Emil Guillermo is a veteran journalist and commentator at www.amok.com

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Oakland Post: Week of December 18 – 24, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of December 18 – 24, 2024

Published

1 day ago

December 20, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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‘Donald Trump Is Not a God:’ Rep. Bennie Thompson Blasts Trump’s Call to Jail Him

“Donald Trump is not a god,” U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., told The Grio during a recent interview, reacting to Trump’s unsupported claims that the congressman, along with other committee members like vice chair and former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, destroyed evidence throughout the investigation.

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Congressman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said he not intimidated by President-elect Donald Trump, who, during an interview on “Meet the Press,” called for the congressman to be jailed for his role as chairman of the special congressional committee investigating Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, mob attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“Donald Trump is not a god,” Thompson told The Grio during a recent interview, reacting to Trump’s unsupported claims that the congressman, along with other committee members like vice chair and former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, destroyed evidence throughout the investigation.

“He can’t prove it, nor has there been any other proof offered, which tells me that he really doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” said the 76-year-old lawmaker, who maintained that he and the bipartisan Jan. 6 Select Committee – which referred Trump for criminal prosecution – were exercising their constitutional and legislative duties.

“When someone disagrees with you, that doesn’t make it illegal; that doesn’t even make it wrong,” Thompson said, “The greatness of this country is that everyone can have their own opinion about any subject, and so for an incoming president who disagrees with the work of Congress to say ‘because I disagree, I want them jailed,’ is absolutely unbelievable.”

When asked by The Grio if he is concerned about his physical safety amid continued public ridicule from Trump, whose supporters have already proven to be violent, Thompson said, “I think every member of Congress here has to have some degree of concern, because you just never know.”

This story is based on a report from The Grio.

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City of Oakland Celebrates Reopening of Main Library

“Libraries are such critical facilities for all Oaklanders, whether it’s children coming to story-time, adults reading the newspapers or borrowing the latest novels, and people engaging with a range of services and programs that the library hosts,” said Council President and District 2 Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas. “Such library services and programs are only possible when the facility’s electricity, heating, roof, and lighting are fixed and running efficiently. I’m proud to join this re-opening of our Main Public Library.”

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Left to Right- Jamie Turbak, Director of Library Services, LaTonda Simmons, Assistant City Administrator, Nikki Bas, President Oakland City Council, Shen Thao, Mayor of Oakland, Carroll Fife, Oakland City Councilmember District 3, Harold Duffey, Assistant City Administrator, Sean Maher, Projects Coordinator. Photo by Kevin Hicks.

The branch had been closed since May for critical infrastructure upgrades

Special to the Post

The City of Oakland leadership and community partners gathered to celebrate the reopening of the Main Library after completion of critical infrastructure upgrades to enhance the library’s facilities and provide a better experience for patrons.

Renovations include new roof installation, skylight repair, critical electrical system upgrades, new boiler control system installation, auditorium heating and cooling system installation, and improvements to lighting, flooring and ceilings throughout the building.

“This is truly something to celebrate, the reopening of our wonderful Main Library! I congratulate the staff and our partners for this important project to make the Main Library a more comfortable place for everyone for years to come, said Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. “Thank you to Oakland voters and the California State Library for making these crucial improvements possible.”

“Public libraries are a wonderful resource for our residents, offering a safe space for learning and being,” said District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife. “It is critical to improve and modernize our libraries so more members of our community can utilize and enjoy them. I’m excited that the necessary renovations to the Main Library have been completed successfully and thank everyone involved, particularly the City team, who helped secured the necessary grant funds for this work.”

“I am proud of the City staff and project partners who kept this important project on schedule and under budget,” said Assistant City Administrator G. Harold Duffey. “The library is an incredibly important resource for our community members, and this project is an investment into the library’s future.”

“December 2nd was a momentous occasion for Oakland Public Library as we proudly reopened the doors of the Main Library following extensive infrastructure repairs,” said Director of Library Services Jamie Turbak. “Closing the Main Library for six months was no easy decision, as it serves as the central hub for our library system and is truly the heart of Oakland. Yet, this renovation was essential, representing more than just physical upgrades—it reflects our ongoing commitment to creating a safe, welcoming space for everyone.”

The City Administrator Jestin Johnson also attended the press conference and signalled his support for the completion of the record-setting completion of the renovations. Gay Plair Cobb, a newly appointed Library Commissioner said the Library represents the soul and brains of our community.

The Oakland Public Library secured funding for these crititcal repairs through a variety of sources. The California State Library’s Building Forward Library Facilities Improvement Program awarded the Main Branch $4.2 million. To comply with the grant terms, the City of Oakland provided matching funds through Measures KK, as approved by the Oakland City Council in October 2023.

The Main Library will host an Open House to celebrate the reopening on February 22, 2025, 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

About the Oakland Public Library

The Oakland Public Library is a part of the City of Oakland in California and has been in existence since 1878. Locations include 16 neighborhood branches, a Main Library, a Second Start Adult Literacy Program, the Oakland Tool Lending Library, and the African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO). The Oakland Public Library empowers all people to explore, connect, and grow. Oaklandlibrary.org