History informs us

I read two books that are pertinent to our times: Victor Hugo’s “Les Miserables”and Ulysses Grant’s autobiography.

Hugo described life in the Middle Ages. Police forces didn’t exist but military forces did. Protests that resulted in buildings and homes being occupied and ransacked were allowed as long as they didn’t threaten government institutions. Something like what occurred on January 6th would have been met by brutal military force. So would the occupations that took place in various statehouses. Nothing would have been done in Portland and Seattle because the demonstrations did not constitute a threat to government.

The closest thing in recent history to January 6th happened in France when Louis Napoleon refused to leave office and staged a coup. The first thing he did afterwards was to outlaw political opposition.

Grant’s book documents the high percentage of ministers openly promoting treason during the Civil War.

It’s good to know history to be able to get a perspective on what is going on today.

Peter Terry

Spokane