Diary (June 9, 2021)

Online diary of Karl Jones for Wednesday June 9, 2021.

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Lafayette Park

The US Park Police did not clear racial injustice protesters from Lafayette Park to allow for then-President Donald Trump's march to St. John's Church last June, but instead did so to allow a contractor to install a fence safely around the White House, according to a new inspector general report.

The Park Police had the authority to clear protesters during last summer's clash outside the White House, according to the report released by the Interior Department's inspector general on Wednesday. Last summer, federal law enforcement agents, including Park Police, clashed with protesters near Lafayette Square, a park across the street from the White House traditionally used for peaceful protests and demonstrations.

The protesters were forcefully cleared just prior to Trump's controversial photo at a nearby church, where he held up a Bible after he had declared himself the "law and order" President. But, according to the watchdog's report, "The evidence we obtained did not support a finding that the USPP cleared the park to allow the President to survey the damage and walk to St. John's Church." While the report says the Park Police followed appropriate policies, it does point out ways the situation was exacerbated. For example, the Bureau of Prisons arrived late to the scene, which meant they missed a briefing in which police were told not to use pepper ball munitions unless protesters breached the bike racks surrounding the area. It's not clear if they understood the rules of engagement, and video evidence showed a Bureau of Prisons officer firing pepper balls from inside the park, despite protesters remaining outside the bike rack perimeter.

• Watchdog report finds Park Police did not clear racial injustice protesters from Lafayette Park for Trump's visit to St. John's Church last June @ CNN

Marjorie Taylor Greene

On a whim, I thought I’d see what, if anything, MTG has accomplished during her tenure the for the people of the Georgia, 14th District .

Since she has no committee appointments, the only access to meaningful action is through legislation.

On legislation, she has authored twelve rather frantic stabs at legislation, all focused on reactionary politics such as immigration, vaccine hesitancy, and firearms. She’s never gained more than 15 co-sponsors with a third of those never getting moire than a single backer. No proposed legislation has moved beyond introduction and given the fantastical nature of the bills, none will. (Source 3)

Simply put, Twitter, social media, and traditional media are the only mediums from which she has to speak for her electorate. If she is barred from those platforms (likely), there is absolutely zero chance for her to do anything for her district beyond voting on legislation passed to the full house - of which she has almost no capacity to do anything of consequence. I guess the rest of the US should be thankful, but she has almost zero influence on anything that matters.

https://bbs.boingboing.net/t/marjorie-taylor-greene-banned-from-twitter-for-one-week/202882/11

Fiction cross-reference

• Gnomon algorithm
• Gnomon Chronicles