Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of the insurrection at the US Capitol. I have been looking online for ways the events of that day, which included death and destruction, will be remembered, memorialized, and commemorated. I feel like I want to do something to remind people about the brink we came to on that day, and that we can not let events like January 6th go by without recognition – and deep concern.
I did not find anything close enough for me to attend in person. The nearest gathering will take place outside the state capitol house in Columbia, South Carolina. That’s a good 3 to 3 and a half hour drive from me.
So, as I sit here and think about January 6th last year as I remind myself this:
The majority of the people who went to the US Capitol had just left a rally by the president at the time, Donald Trump. He stirred them up. He used language that was inciting. Other Republican leaders also spoke in the same manner.
The rally, and then the march to the Capitol, had been planned through internet sites, particularly the ones that super conservatives, the so-called “Trumpers” follow. These people converged on Washington DC on purpose and they came from all over the United States.
Videos of the insurrection showed many Trump flags carried. Also some “Don’t Tread on Me” flags were there. Confederate flags too. Many of the people wore MAGA red hats. Many wore military clothing. A gallow & hangman’s noose was erected.
Videos showed how thousands of people broke down fencing, and climbed the building walls. It also showed some people fighting hand to hand combat against the US Capitol police as they tried to keep them back. They also used fencing, and bats, whatever they could find, to beat up policemen and women.
Videos then showed what went on inside the Capitol once the rioters (by that time they were that – rioters) broke in. They entered private offices, created havoc, destroyed documents. Dishonored statues. Broke into the Congressional chambers.
Our Congress was in session and ready to vote on the final step to verify the presidential election and in fear they were forced to flee, to hide, truly fearing for their lives. Shouts of “hang Pence” could be heard.
In the end we learned of the shooting death of a rioter, and we learned of death and injury to Capitol and Washington Police. We learned about slow response from the National Guard. We learned that the law enforcement was not prepared for this kind of event. We learned it was a set up.
Rightly so, Congress organized a committee to gather information from all kinds of sources, to find out WHY this happened the way it did. Hundreds of rioters were identified on the videos, tried, and are now serving time or about to serve time. More got away with it though. The committee heard live testimony from police officers who were there, one who got injured severely. The committee has received thousands of pages of written testimony and documents. They are following the info, the facts of the day, are going up the chain – and it leads all the way to president Trump.
One year ago tomorrow the people of this country sat in front of their TV’s and watched our nation’s most loved building, the center of our democracy and the workplace of our elected representatives, get vandalized by a group of ‘hoodlums’ with irrational thoughts and behavior.
It’s easy to blame the ones who’s faces and their actions were seen on the videos. Yes, they were guilty of incredibly hateful actions. But WHO caused them to become this way? What made men and women from all over the country come to DC thinking they could stop the verification of the president election results? Who put ideas into their heads that the election was rigged? Who then told blatant lies about fraud when there wasn’t any? And who else knew of the plans but stayed silent?
Tomorrow marks the one year date of the insurrection but justice can not be served until the truth comes out and everyone responsible for January 6th is discovered, and served. Nobody is above the law. Democracy is built on this.
Democracy is built on true & fair elections, and the fact that we all vote, so as not be governed by a dictator. Our country is the greatest example of how a democracy should work.
So… I believe tomorrow is a big day to recognize. It should not be slid on the rug as I think some media networks might try to do. It should not be ‘excused away’ by turncoat politicians who are only looking out for their own interests. It should not be downplayed – because it.was.a.big.deal. That uprising came from within the system. It happened due to secret meetings at the Willard Hotel. It was orchestrated by men who put ethics and morals aside.
If you don’t believe it, then you are being scammed. You are listening to contributors of the lies. If you look back on January 6th and think it wasn’t a big deal then you have bought into the games being played by people with no integrity.
Tomorrow, January 6th, was a day when American citizens decided to fight against democracy. It didn’t happen by foreign groups, or outside religious sects. It happened by our own people.
I hope we learned something – because it happened. It wasn’t political talk. It was real destruction and loss of human life. It was a very sad day for America.
Marla’s Musings 