The January 6th Insurrection

A year later, GOP and Trumpist apologists want to tell you it was really no big deal. Don’t believe them.

January 6^th. Another date living in infamy for the United States of America.

One year ago today supporters of former president Donald J. Trump violently attacked the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 election.

They believed Trump’s demonstrably false and repeatedly debunked claim that the election was “stolen” from him. Their clear intention, demonstrated by invective shouts and chants, was to stop the results of the democratic election from being instituted. The attackers screamed for the hanging of Vice President Mike Pence and death of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi while beating down Capitol Police, forcing their way into the building and attempting to breech the doors to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Capitol policeman who suffered injuries on January 6, 2021 — *Insurrectionists seriously injured* *Staff Sergeant Gonell, on Jan. 6, 2021. (Twitter – @SergeantAqGo)*

People died that day while attempting to protect Pence, Pelosi and all other members of Congress, regardless of party, from the anti-democracy mob. Capitol police officers who bore the brunt of the attack continue to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder and several of their fellow officers have since committed suicide because of it.

For 12 months Republican apologists have been saying this was just bunch of people touring the Capitol building, a protest that went too far or, at worst, a “riot that got out of control.” But make no mistake – Trump, his cronies, his deep-pocked elitist friends, his minions and his followers attempted to overthrow U.S. democracy. Do not be persuaded it was anything less.

Looking back on this grim anniversary, it’s a tossup for what’s more disturbing: the fact that U.S. citizens tried to violently derail democracy or that the reaction from many quarters was, and continues to be, so blasé.

The last time the USA came under direct attack – Sept. 11, 2001 – the nation responded as if to a crisis, which it was. First responders and law enforcement around the nation were put on alert, commercial flights were cancelled and so on. The January 6 insurrection was a national crisis and emergency, too, but you wouldn’t have known it.

And now, a year later, the rebellion continues.

Republican state legislatures have passed dozens of laws making it harder to vote and easier for legislatures and elected officials to nullify votes. They also have taken partisan redistricting to an obscene level so Democrats will lose Congressional seats. And there is a concerted effort to install Trump loyalists as secretaries of state because they oversee elections and either certify or vacate election results. And Trump continues to be the de facto leader of the GOP.

The insurrection wasn’t a one-day event; it is an ongoing and extremely dangerous threat to our republic.

Unless we put an end to it.

We must do whatever we can to thwart the insurrectionists’ efforts. The future of democracy is at stake.

January 6^th. Living in infamy in the United States of America.

Editorial cartoon calling out hypocrisy of GOP on the Jan. 6th insurrection — by Rob Rogers

Huge thank you to Marcus Ampe for the link to this post from his blog – “Hope For, But Not In, Evangelicalism.” Take a moment to hop over there and check it out!