Area 51 started trending on Twitter after the storming of the U.S. Capitol last week. Most of the tweets were like this one: “After what we saw in the Capitol yesterday, I feel pretty comfortable bringing back the plan to storm Area 51. Looks like it’ll be a lot easier than we all anticipated.” Uh, no. I’m going to explain why this kind of thinking is not only stupid but also dangerous.
STORMING THE U.S. CAPITOL
Angry white people storming the Capitol Building made it look easy because it was an inside job. Some Capitol Police officers opened doors and took selfies with the rioters. The Sergeant of Arms for both the House and Senate refused to approve help from other agencies. Republican representatives reportedly gave tours to outside groups the day before. The list goes on from there.
The last group of angry white people to storm the Capitol Building was British troops in the War of 1812. The Capitol Building back then had the Congress, the Supreme Court, and the Library of Congress under one roof. The British started a bonfire when they lit up the 3,000 books in the Library of Congress. That was over 200 years ago.
Keep in mind that it was angry white people who stormed the Capitol Building. If minorities stormed the Capitol Building, the outcome would have been much different. Black Lives Matter protesters encountered militarized police in many cities last June. Tear gas, rubber bullets, and helicopters flew in the air. They weren’t even trying to overturn a legal nation-wide election.
With less than a week before the Inauguration, 25,000 National Guard troops are moving into Washington, D.C. The troops stationed inside and outside of the Capitol Building have assault rifles. If 4,000 extremists try to surround the Capitol Building, no one will be opening doors and taking selfies with them.
AREA 51
If you’re not familiar with Storming Area 51, it started off as a Facebook joke to see them aliens at Area 51. Over two million people expressed interest in attending the event. That alarmed local, state, and federal authorities that too many people wouldn’t see it as a joke.
The joke morphed into several different alien-themed music festivals on September 20, 2019. About 5,000 people showed up without anyone getting into Area 51.
What happens if someone tried to storm Area 51 under normal circumstances? Most people would get a trespassing citation and escorted back to the road. Some people would be under arrest and taken away by county sheriff. A few people would get shot to death by the authorities.
What would happen if a whole lot of people try to storm Area 51 like the Capitol Building? Since Area 51 is under military law, military personnel can shoot first and ask questions later. Some people will learn the hard way that the First Amendment won’t stop the bullets.