Not So Deep Podcast - Episode #18

Storming the Capitol with Ben Hamilton

Ben Hamilton is a former history teacher who went to the January 6th riot at the Capitol to witness history firsthand. He has written a book about his experiences called 'Sorry Guys, We Storm the Capitol.'

Links:
Sorry Guys, We Stormed the Capitol
Chasing History Project

Ben had been attending Trump rallies for months before January 6th as part of a project to document current events. He did not expect the protest on January 6th to turn violent. When Ben heard that people had broken into the Capitol building, he ran over to see what was happening.

Ben did not go inside the Capitol, but he stayed on the grounds talking to protesters as they came in and out of the building. He asked them why they had stormed the Capitol. Some said they thought it was like the original Boston Tea Party protest. Others thought this would somehow give them the right to dissolve the government, though Ben pointed out this was not accurate history.

The crowd was chaotic, with different people trying to lead or control it at different times. Some people accused others of being 'plants' trying to make the protesters look bad.

Ben thought the protest turned violent partly due to outside agitators and partly due to people in the crowd who just wanted an excuse to be destructive. He does not think there was an organized plan behind the violence.

Ben believes America is becoming more divided between political parties. He thinks journalists and historians play an important role in finding the truth during times of social unrest. His goal is to document major events as they happen so future generations can learn what really transpired.