COMMENTARY: Heartbreaking to See Olympic Uniform Part of Terrifying Insurrection on Capitol

Photo Courtesy: Screenshot from Townhall Media/Julio Rosas

I don’t care what your political position is, the events that transpired at the U.S. Capitol last week were terrifying.

In what was supposed to be one of the most secure buildings in the country, a protest turned into an insurrection as hundreds of people unlawfully entered the Capitol — while the vice president and the entire legislature were in the building counting the Electoral College votes, sending the leaders of our country running for cover.

This insurrection turned into a deadly struggle inside the Capitol. It was terrifying and heartbreaking to watch as more and more video and information came forward — and is still coming forward.

Even more heartbreaking is that someone wearing an Olympic team jacket was a part of it.

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I don’t care what your political position is, but there is a big difference between disagreeing with the election results and being willing to illegally storm the castle.

Just being in the building was a federal crime, and whether Klete Keller, who is shown in video in the Capitol, was violent or not, the result of the insurrection was violent (weapons and explosives have also been found, with more evidence coming every day) and the siege led to multiple deaths.

There are those that have tried to downplay the events, or even try to justify them. There is no justification. There is no downplaying. A group of extremists took it upon themselves to terrorize those within the Capitol based on a conspiracy theory about the election results.

Investigators and courts of law have found no evidence of any widespread election fraud in every state in question, but the president continues to push that hot button and that has proved to be extremely dangerous.

It is a time of immense political upheaval and that has consumed the COVID-19 pandemic, race relations in our country and everything involving the election.

The most difficult part is that it seems like people have just decided they are going to do whatever they want to do and not follow the rules.

Without rules, there is chaos, as we saw in the Capitol.

Again, I don’t care what your political position is, but we have to be able to agree to follow the rules, or there will continue to be chaos.

It starts with something simple like wearing masks when around others during the pandemic. Most of the protesters outside the Capitol and those who were part of its siege were not wearing masks.

Klete Keller. Photo Courtesy: Screenshot from Townhall Media/Julio Rosas

Neither were several of the legislators in the Capitol, according to fellow legislators, which has already spread the virus to others after being in close quarters during the siege. Now there is a proposal being drafted to make it a $1,000 fine to not wear a mask in the Capitol during the pandemic.

Refusing to wear masks, despite the rules in many places about it, is a statement that people are willing to refuse to follow any rule they don’t agree with, despite the recommendation of doctors and health officials. People in every state have refused to wear masks because it violates their constitutional rights.

The insurrection proved people won’t follow the rules about lawful entry, or accept the facts of the election, either.

I am not sure why people think they know more than doctors or state officials or our legislators when it comes to wearing masks during COVID-19 or what the results of the election are.

But an Olympic gold medalist was part of that group that found the results of the election to be a fraud — and was so upset about it, he traveled to Washington, then took it a step further and joined a siege of the Capitol.

Klete Keller. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

That was a dangerous step to take, especially wearing an Olympic jacket, and one that cannot be supported.

Again, whatever your political stance, it isn’t politics. He was part of a violation of multiple federal laws, and could face charges.

It is important that we as a country come together, condemn the actions that violated the law by everyone — whether they were wearing the shirt of a political group or a jacket of the U.S. Olympic team.

— All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.

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Breezeway

3 years ago

Great article!