How bold d you have to be to show up in Washington D.C. holding a hanging rope for the Vice President of the United States of America?

C’mon, who really believes they can walk right in front of the National Guard, Secret Service, Capitol Police, and pretty much every media outlet in the world and espouse intent to hunt down and do harm to the second and third persons necessary to ensure continuity of the US government?

How ridiculous would it be to ignore the fact that there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people with similar sensibilities, ideological affinities, and violent tendencies?

The January 6, 2021 insurrection was a rude awakening… for some. The National Guard wasn’t going to end up with any more egg on its face. Anybody in their ranks with even a hint of fondness for or affiliation with Q Anon, Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, etc. couldn’t be deployed to help secure the Capitol on Inauguration Day.

Since then, the military decided to take a closer look at to whom they are giving guns and uniforms. Might not be a good idea to keep turning a blind eye away from the potential enemy within. All those people with a ridiculous sense of entitlement are angry as hell. Why? They are convinced that you just sat there are let “those people” jack their now eternally venerable homeboy.

It’s a trip how quick all that hateful rhetoric began to matter when the intent to harm was insurrection rather than racism.

The problem is, the military isn’t the only institution empowering these bold, racist, insurrection-supporting extremists. I’m surrounded by a whole bunch of them each and every day. The state gives them the power and authority to write and enforce policy; practice, investigate, and justify the use of force; assess the level of risk we present to public safety; manage our case files; narrate our chronological behavioral record; and control the conditions of our confinement.

I wasn’t surprised by what happened on January 6th. Prior to the election, it was a common thing to hear Correctional Officers and Sergeants screaming “four more years!” Blue Lives Matter flag-adorned face masks and other political accessories embellished the uniforms of plenty facility personnel.

There were, and are, thriving communities of bold and proud “patriots” in this place. Individuals and groups of ideologues, who believe this pandemic is a hoax, won’t trust anything on mainstream media, and would re-elect Donald Trump over and over just to watch him walk on water one more time.

It has always been bad on the inside. This is an extremely polarized, toxic, and politicized environment. Yet, the state has consistently turned a blind eye to the fact that this is the perfect place for the bold, hate-filled extremists to hold the most power and to do the most harm. As prison guards, correctional staff, and para-military professionals, these positionally-powerful oppressors have complete control over the people they generally hate the most.

The incarcerated populace, disproportionately minorities, has historically written grievances, filed law suits, and informally complained about the hateful rhetoric and actions of correctional officers and staff that have had free reign to enact vigilante justice in a multitude of ways. But the popular narrative is one of us as monstrous and violent convicted felons.

I just want to encourage the public to dig a little deeper. These people are bold! The evidence is out there. Department of Corrections employees have social media profiles. You can easily access a list of people working at a prison. It’s all a matter of public record.

The whole world say what these people’s intentions, and their willingness to act in broad daylight against some of the most powerful political figures in America. Dig a little bit and you’ll find out what they’re posting on social media. Whatever you find offensive, make a record of it.

Do you trust them to make a safer Colorado for today and tomorrow when those are the things they openly espouse in public forums? Can you imagine what they get away with behind these razor wire fences and mechanically closed steel doors?

In the interest of justice, in the interest of abolition, or even if you’re just bored and kind of nosey; participate in our research project. Let’s find out how many haters are holding the keys, and demand that prisons stop being run like plantations.

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