Five thousand national guardsmen and one toilet

Before the 25,000 national guardsmen troop back to their home states this weekend it cannot be left unsaid what a scandal it was how they were treated when they were brought in from all over the country to protect the new president. They had very little to do in the end because, fortunately, there was no riot, no mass descent on the Capitol, no attempt to overthrow the government, no deaths, no violence. All good news and they can go home feeling proud of how they kept democracy safe, albeit with the help of combat fatigues, weapons and riot gear. But most of them will be going back home with resentment and anger in their hearts because of the way the Capitol police treated them. It was bad enough having to kip down on the floor in the Capitol building in rest periods. But when they were shunted off to a garage where there was just one toilet with two cubicles in it for 5,000 guardsmen - and what about the guardswomen? - it turned into a national disgrace. The acting chief of the Capitol Police needs to be fired. What on earth was the thinking behind the decision? So the police wanted to clear the Capitol to allow the politicians back into their offices without having to trip over sleeping guardsmen. But the people who initially complained on behalf of the ousted guardsmen were senators and representatives who totally opposed sending them off to the garage "accommodation". A successful inauguration besmirched by the Capitol police who showed no respect for the part-time soldiers and airmen who had given up their time to ensure everyone's safety in Washington. Shame on them.