One year ago today, Donald John Trump, never before twice-impeached president, who lambasted a Black NFL player for kneeling in protest during the national anthem, knelt on the neck of democracy for 187 minutes.
Like the murder of George Floyd, the president’s crime was “televised”.
This is the one year anniversary of the darkest day in American history. It could easily have been darker. The danger has not passed.
We all need to be the lighthouse in that storm.
The mob was fed lies. They were provoked by the president and other powerful people...They tried to disrupt our democracy, they failed…This failed insurrection.
These words were spoken by Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell, shortly after the insurrectionists within and outside the government failed on January 6th. You’d think, from these words, the taciturn senator from Kentucky finally had his come-to-Jesus moment in regards to the fragility of the American experiment.
You’d be wrong.
His wife, Elaine Chao, the Taiwan-born (read: immigrant) Republican resigned from her post as Secretary of Transportation on January 7, 2021, a day after President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the US Capitol building and rioted, which she said made her feel "deeply troubled." I'm sure her abrupt departure was just happenstance. If she was "deeply troubled", she was deeply troubled that she had allowed herself to be tied to those willing to commit treason. The GOP does not have everything it wants. Yet.
The violence, destruction, and chaos we saw earlier was unacceptable undemocratic and un-American. It was the saddest day I’ve ever had as serving as a member of this institution…We saw the worst of America this afternoon…
The partially honest assessment above is from House Minority Leader, Kevin McCarthy, spoken on the day he and other members of Congress were besieged by thousands of deranged Americans who had slurped up lies for four years and then acted on those lies by losing their minds and behaving like lunatics. It’s only partially honest because Kevin was in on the plot to overthrow the government. He knew they were coming. He knew it was meant to be ugly.
Kevin must have realized he might’ve died in the mob if a few things had broken in a slightly different direction and—thus—had a tiny window of clarity. It lasted—at least—until January 13th when he was quoted as saying:
Last week’s violent attack on the Capitol was undemocratic, un-American and criminal…those who are responsible for Wednesday’s chaos will be brought to justice…The President bears responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on Congress by mob rioters.
Since that time, the House Minority Leader continues to be one of the leaders in America’s inexorable march toward less democracy, not more. He no longer has the temerity to publicly call out the former president’s liability in the literal, as well as figurative, desecration of democratic ideals. From the physical damage done to the seat of democracy on the day of the insurrection to the new Jim Crow voter suppression laws springing up like mushrooms across every state in the Union. (Almost 400 by last count.)
The actions taken on January 6th failed, but the coup is ongoing.
Today was a dark day in the history of the United States capitol…We condemn the violence that took place here in the strongest possible terms…To those who wreaked havoc today, you did not win.
Mike Pence uttered those perfectly acceptable made-for-TV words on the day that could have been his last. His boss catalyzed and deputized thousands of dopamine-fueled misguided citizens to try to persuade the Vice President—by any means possible—to decertify the November 2020 election. While these angry citizens hunted Mike Pence in the Capitol Building armed with zip ties and stun guns and, possibly, real guns, the corpulent mobster from New York—most likely compromised by foreign governments—chowed down on hors d’oeuvres and watched the events unfold on a monster television screen. The architect of the coup had no reason to be concerned for his own safety.
Crazily, we have Dan Quayle—former Vice President under George H.W. Bush—to thank for Mike Pence developing a conscience, or using the last ounce of his good sense. Apparently, Pence sought Quayle’s advice about what he should do while insurrectionists filled the Capitol rotunda screaming for his head.
Throughout that day and the days immediately thereafter, Republican politicians condemned the violence and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. A few of them even laid the blame at the feet of the leader of their party. None of them accepted the blame themselves. None of them connected the dots between their party’s actions over the past four years, and the last four decades.
When the moment passed and the media moved on, Republicans did too. They knew no one would call them on their previously spoken words. They should have just said they’re sending “thoughts and prayers to American democracy” because those words would have resonated just as much and been just as impactful.
It’s the “it’ll do in a pinch phrase” for all kinds of tragedies.
America is being hollowed out. Billionaires are making billions—sometimes tens of billions—in a single day. The consensus is that income disparity is the worst it has even been in our history. The consensus is that neoliberalism, supply side economics, free market capitalism, trickle-down economics or voodoo economics—whatever you want to call it because they are all the same thing—does not work for the majority of our citizenry. So, while it may be true that more Americans are doing better in this economy, it is also true that more Americans than ever are sinking below the poverty level. Having returned to Seattle for the past few months, I can personally vouch for the explosion of homelessness. And Seattle is not alone. The number of “un-housed” grows daily.
This is why January 6th happened.
The sense that everything is out of whack is pervasive. Even people who are educated and ‘getting by’ sense that our system is failing them. Even people who are educated and ‘getting by’ want to believe the strong man they saw on The Celebrity Apprentice will save the children, fix the economy and put the “politically correct police” in their place. Somehow these people can look past all of this man’s transgressions—the ones he commits daily and the ones in his sordid past—and still place him on a pedestal. Somehow these people are prone to believe businessmen have the knowledge and acumen to right all ships. (Anyone remember H. Ross Perot? Were it not for Perot running as an Independent, Clinton would not have defeated H.W. Bush.)
Some people, as we witnessed one year ago, will even go so far as to risk their lives and freedom to keep him in office by betraying their country.
January 6th was a clarion call.
America’s fundamentally broken. Too many of us have savior syndrome. Too many of us are blinded by free market propaganda. Too many of us are myopic when it comes to solutions. Too many of us refuse to get involved. Or are reluctant to get involved. Or don’t know how to get involved.
Too many of us are doing just okay enough that we’re comfortable. Too many of us are doing so poorly we’re dependent on government programs.
Something good needs to come out of the events on January 6th. I think it needs to be the realization by a significant portion of the population that one party no longer stands for democracy. I am hopeful the public airing of the January 6th Committee’s hearings will turn the tide in favor of those who believe in the rule of law, the sanctity of our Constitution and a commitment to justice.
September 11th brought us the War on Terror, the Patriot Act and far too many conspiracy theories.
January 6th’s clarion call needs to be the antidote to that insanity.
I didn’t watch the insurrection live. I haven’t seen very many of the videos. There are hundreds. Possibly thousands. January 6th was definitely televised. Streamed as we like to say in the 21st century.
I listened to the New York Times The Daily podcast yesterday and heard about a man who went to Washington, D.C. on January 6th—basically, from his telling—because he was bored.
He participated in the insurrection. He entered the Capitol Building not once, but twice. He videoed some of his actions. At one point in one of his videos he admits “doing battle with the Capitol police”. Yet he says to his kinder, gentler FBI interviewers (half of the podcast was a pair of actors reading the transcripts of the interview), he was merely “caught up in the moment”.
He says in his most remorseful tone that he was caught up in the herd mentality. He even had the audacity to say he didn’t even know Congress was in session.
This man’s name is Robert Reeder. He’s a registered Democrat who voted twice for the serial rapist. He says his life is ruined. Neighbors won’t talk with him. The Boy Scouts won’t let him lead a troop. FedEx fired him. He’s not allowed to coach girl’s soccer. He doesn’t want to show his face at his church. (It must not be evangelical.)
After lying repeatedly in his interview with the FBI and shedding a few well-practiced crocodile tears (ala Kyle Rittenhouse), a video surfaced just before his sentencing that clearly depicted him assaulting a police officer. This after having claimed he was a ‘Blue Lives Matters’ kind of guy in the interview and—when it came to any Capitol Hill police officers and him—he was as submissive as possible. He faced several misdemeanor charges.
Ultimately?
He got his initial sentence of six months in prison halved to three months.
I think for the remainder of his life he should be registered as an Insurrectionist. Like pedophiles, he should have to go door-to-door and admit he lives in your neighborhood.
Maybe he should also get a Scarlet I on his forehead.
More Republican comments immediately following the attempt to overthrow our duly elected government. You know, we will never be able to say again, that we always have peaceful transfers of power.
Once you start taking violent actions against law enforcement you’re not a protestor anymore, you are an anarchist. Whether it’s anarchy or terrorism, they were trying to storm the Capitol and stop our democracy from working.
- Rep. Steve Scalise
This has been a truly tragic day for America, and we all join together in fully condemning the dangerous violence and destruction…violence in any form is absolutely unacceptable, anti-American, and must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
- Rep. Elise Stefanik
Mr. President. You have got to stop this. You are the only person who can call this off. Call it off. The election is over. Call it off. This is bigger than you. It is bigger than any member of Congress. It is about the United States of America.
- Rep. Mike Gallagher
When it comes to accountability the president needs to understand that his actions were the problem not the solution.
- Sen. Lindsay Graham
Chaos, anarchy. The violence today was wrong and un-American.
- Sen. Rand Paul
Today the people’s house was attacked, which is an attack on the republic itself…People need to go to jail… and the president should never have spun up certain Americans to believe something that simply cannot be.
- Rep. Chip Roy
I hope that the types of people who stormed the Capitol today got a clear message that they will not stop our democracy from moving forward…We need to get our work done and this kind of thuggery would not keep us from doing the people’s work.
- Sen. John Thune
On Wednesday the Capitol of the most powerful nation the world has ever known was stormed by an angry mob. Americans surely never thought they’d see such a scene…It was a display not of patriotism but of frenzy and anarchy.
- Rep. Dan Crenshaw (spoken on Wednesday, January 7th)
This building has been desecrated, blood has been spilled in the hallways…what happened today isn’t what America is…There are some who are trying to burn it all down, and we met some of them today.
- Sen. Ben Sasse
I condemn the violent and criminal acts that took place at the US Capitol today. These shameful actions to disrupt a session of Congress and vandalize the Capitol building should never happen in our great republic.
- Sen. Rob Portman
What we have seen today is unlawful and unacceptable…I have decided I will vote to uphold the Electoral College results and I encourage Donald Trump to condemn and put an end to this madness.
- Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers
Former President Trump’s actions preceding the riot were a disgraceful, disgraceful dereliction of duty. There’s no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day.
- Sen. Mitch McConnell
Ad nauseam.
68% of House Republicans (there are 202) voted to install a dictator when the vote was finally taken after the failed coup on January 6th, 2021.
Never forget.
I’d like to thank the Twitter thread of Congressman Andy Kim from New Jersey’s 3rd District for the collection of quotes. You might remember Rep. Kim as the man who was swabbing the Capitol Building floors of blood, vomit and feces once calm was restored.
Also, Station Eleven, the book, and Station Eleven, the television series. . . is good.
Vogue says it’s the best new show of the year. Be forewarned. It’s post-apocalyptic.
For the record, here are the Republican Senators and House Reps who voted in favor of decertifying the November 2020 election. Loathsome creatures. Thanks Vox.
Senators who objected
Ted Cruz (TX)
Josh Hawley (MO)
Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS)
Cynthia Lummis (WY)
John Kennedy (LA)
Roger Marshall (KS)
Rick Scott (FL)
Tommy Tuberville (AL)
House members who objected
Robert Aderholt (AL)
Rick Allen (GA)
Jodey Arrington (TX)
Brian Babin (TX)
Jim Baird (IN)
Jim Banks (IN)
Cliff Bentz (OR)
Jack Bergman (MI)
Stephanie Bice (OK)
Andy Biggs (AZ)
Dan Bishop (NC)
Lauren Boebert (CO)
Mike Bost (IL)
Mo Brooks (AL)
Ted Budd (NC)
Tim Burchett (TN)
Michael Burgess (TX)
Ken Calvert (CA)
Kat Cammack (FL)
Jerry Carl (AL)
Buddy Carter (GA)
John Carter (TX)
Madison Cawthorn (NC)
Steve Chabot (OH)
Ben Cline (VA)
Michael Cloud (TX)
Andrew Clyde (GA)
Tom Cole (OK)
Rick Crawford (AR)
Warren Davidson (OH)
Scott DesJarlais (TN)
Mario Diaz-Balart (FL)
Byron Donalds (FL)
Jeff Duncan (SC)
Neal Dunn (FL)
Ron Estes (KS)
Pat Fallon (TX)
Michelle Fischbach (MN)
Scott Fitzgerald (WI)
Chuck Fleischmann (TN)
Virginia Foxx (NC)
Scott Franklin (FL)
Russ Fulcher (ID)
Matt Gaetz (FL)
Mike Garcia (CA)
Bob Gibbs (OH)
Carlos Gimenez (FL)
Louie Gohmert (TX)
Bob Good (VA)
Lance Gooden (TX)
Paul Gosar (AZ)
Garret Graves (LA)
Sam Graves (MO)
Mark Green (TN)
Marjorie Greene (GA)
Morgan Griffith (VA)
Michael Guest (MS)
Jim Hagedorn (MN)
Andy Harris (MD)
Diana Harshbarger (TN)
Vicky Hartzler (MO)
Kevin Hern (OK)
Yvette Herrell (NM)
Jody Hice (GA)
Clay Higgins (LA)
Richard Hudson (NC)
Darrell Issa (CA)
Ronny Jackson (TX)
Chris Jacobs (NY)
Mike Johnson (LA)
Bill Johnson (OH)
Jim Jordan (OH)
John Joyce (PA)
Fred Keller (PA)
Trent Kelly (MS)
Mike Kelly (PA)
David Kustoff (TN)
Doug LaMalfa (CA)
Doug Lamborn (CO)
Jacob LaTurner (KS)
Debbie Lesko (AZ)
Billy Long (MO)
Barry Loudermilk (GA)
Frank Lucas (OK)
Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO)
Nicole Malliotakis (NY)
Tracey Mann (KS)
Brian Mast (FL)
Kevin McCarthy (CA)
Lisa McClain (MI)
Daniel Meuser (PA)
Mary Miller (IL)
Carol Miller (WV)
Alex Mooney (WV)
Barry Moore (AL)
Markwayne Mullin (OK)
Gregory Murphy (NC)
Troy Nehls (TX)
Ralph Norman (SC)
Devin Nunes (CA)
Jay Obernolte (CA)
Burgess Owens (UT)
Steven Palazzo (MS)
Gary Palmer (AL)
Greg Pence (IN)
Scott Perry (PA)
August Pfluger (TX)
Bill Posey (FL)
Guy Reschenthaler (PA)
Tom Rice (SC)
Mike Rogers (AL)
Hal Rogers (KY)
John Rose (TN)
Matt Rosendale (MT)
David Rouzer (NC)
John Rutherford (FL)
Steve Scalise (LA)
David Schweikert (AZ)
Pete Sessions (TX)
Jason Smith (MO)
Adrian Smith (NE)
Lloyd Smucker (PA)
Elise Stefanik (NY)
Greg Steube (FL)
Chris Stewart (UT)
Glenn Thompson (PA)
Tom Tiffany (WI)
William Timmons (SC)
Jefferson Van Drew (NJ)
Beth Van Duyne (TX)
Tim Walberg (MI)
Jackie Walorski (IN)
Randy Weber (TX)
Daniel Webster (FL)
Roger Williams (TX)
Joe Wilson (SC)
Rob Wittman (VA)
Ron Wright (TX)
Lee Zeldin (NY)