If armed people storm a state Capitol building,

[artemisia1]

49. Covid-19 will be issuing Darwin Awards to some of these yahoos...

Covid-19 will be issuing Darwin Awards to some of these yahoos.

Unlike the Black Panther protesters of half a century ago, these dummies don't face discrimination, murder under colour of authority and institutionalized racism. What they face is a society doing what societies throughout history have done during pandemics -- from Justinian's plague through the Black Death and including the 1918 Great Influenza -- quarantine.

That said, while I understand the Panthers doing this, I think it was not the right thing to bring guns to a protest even then. Nevertheless, they were acting in defense of their community whereas these present yahoos really are seditious and threatening. They want a policy change on an issue they disagree with. Bringing guns is itself a threat of violence. However, firing upon them most likely would have ultimately ended with real, deadly battles between authorities and "militias" (in quotes to distinguish unauthorized ones with legally constituted ones) throughout the land and, like Waco and Ruby Ridge, led to another round of violence, but this time magnified 100x.

What is the answer? I don't know. Perhaps a well publicized announcement that this is unlawful and further such action will lead to arrests. Announcing this LOUD and CLEAR would put the onus upon the troublemakers and not the government.