Today nearly three years after the attack on the US Capitol my guest is American hero, Aquillino Gonell, author of the new book American Shield: The Immigrant Sergeant Who Defended Democracy. You know Staff Sergeant Gonell as one of the brave members of the Capitol Police who defended our country and our constitution when insurrectionist mobs attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021...
PREFACE by Congressman Jamie Raskin
WHEN FUTURE GENERATIONS COME TO TELL THE story of the violent insurrection and attempted coup at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, and of the sharp social disparities, political corruption, and ideological fanaticisms that set the stage for this catastrophe, the spotlight will, of necessity, shine on the disgraced and twice-impeached ex-president Donald Trump: the pathological liar, narcissist, and con man who set all of the relevant events into motion and ruthlessly incited the bloody mob violence that shook America to the core.
But who will become the symbol of the besieged American democracy that fought back with vigor and honor at every turn, narrowly defeating a violent and unlawful seizure of the presidency outside of the constitutional order?
It just might be the unlikely figure of former Capitol Police Sergeant Aquilino Gonell, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic and naturalized citizen with a thick accent, a U.S. army veteran who fought in the Iraq war (no bone spurs) and then joined the Capitol Police, where he served honorably for sixteen years before he was badly wounded in the January 6 riot and forced to leave the force.
This remarkable little book tells the life of a man who is billionaire Trump’s absolute opposite in nearly every respect.
Born into a large, destitute family in the countryside of the Dominican Republic, Aquilino learned a ferocious and honest work ethic from an early age, taking jobs stocking groceries at a bodega and selling his beloved mother’s food door-to-door in impoverished neighborhoods.
Aquilino did share something in common with Donald Trump: he also had a mean son-of-a-bitch as a father. But where Trump came to identify completely with his racist cheat of an old man, Aquilino rebelled early against his father’s constant domestic slights, aggressions, and betrayals. Trump’s character weakness made him a hateful authoritarian bully. Aquilino’s character strength made him a man of courage, respect, and honor, all the makings of a true patriot.
When Aquilino’s family moved to New York City, he was a tiny little fish out of water: a shy immigrant kid who could not speak English, was falling behind in school, badly missed his revered grandfather and family back in the Dominican Republic, worked to make money for his family all the time, and despaired of having any real future in the urban jungle of New York City or the still-distant dream of America.
But Aquilino had something that marked him for happiness and growth in this world: a love of learning and education, even against all the odds stacked up around him like tenement buildings.
He connected with one of his teachers who pulled him up out of the doldrums and taught him painstakingly how to pronounce the word patriot. She also sent him on a class trip to the nation’s capital, where he would meet a Capitol Police officer who would plant in him the seeds of a career ambition.
Aquilino became the first person in his family ever to graduate from high school. He wanted to go to college, which was not in the cards financially for him—until he learned about the possibility of joining the U.S. army and getting some of his tuition paid for. He also learned that he could become a naturalized citizen through his army service.
This is how he ended up in Iraq, getting an intense education in military bureaucracy, the democratic and humane impulses of America’s young people, the cruel folly of imperial war, and the corruption and deceit of a lot of politicians.
Returning from war, he went to college, still struggling with his thick Dominican accent, but ended up in his American dream job serving as an officer on the Capitol Police.
It never could have occurred to him that his decorated career as a Capitol cop would end with injuries suffered in the worst violent insurrection at the Capitol in American history.
Aquilino experienced more brutal violence in Washington than he ever saw in Baghdad…
Gonell, Aquilino; Shapiro, Susan (2023-11-06T22:58:59.000). American Shield. Catapult. Kindle Edition.
This is the second time I have featured one of Jen‘s podcasts. The prior one is here.
RANDOM UPDATE
If it’s a day ending in “y,” #NeilsonMandela will be in our faces.
I listened via WaPo to the audio feed of the appellate hearing on Trump‘s so-called “immunity”assertion. I hope they shoot his BS down quickly, but, that is also knowing full well that he will just keep on appealing every little thing indefinitely.
Uncovering Voter Fraud should grant me Presidential Immunity against Fake Biden Indictments! pic.twitter.com/OW1fvXpCzs
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 9, 2024
TRANSCRIPT OF THE FOREGOING
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