It’s been a year, and I have had a lot of thoughts about this day. Still, I’m not entirely sure what to write about the anniversary of the Capitol white supremacist attack. Everyone has memories of where they were when certain event happens. For me, the first was 9/11. January 6th was not like 9/11 in terms of death toll, but in terms of the uncertainty. The feeling of being so far away from what was happening (for many, not all) but feeling horrified both at the act itself and for those trapped inside. The sadness for the victims. The length of time it’s taken to being the perpetrators to justice.
The other difference is that people who call 9/11 a hoax are considered fringe. The stereotype has you looking for the conspiracy theorist’s tinfoil hat. I suppose it’s easier because 9/11 was done by foreign terrorists.
It’s been a lot easier for people to embrace an attack on our soil committed by people who also grew up on that soil, who claimed to love that soil while smearing feces on walls, stealing property, and threatening the lives of our leaders who, while deserving of criticism, are not deserving of murderous intent and terror, which the January 6th terrorists expressed. Not to mention that the president at that time condoned and even told the terrorists he loved them.
Hell, those people were people who lived among us and who we see in the news.
Simone Gold, the leader of the Breitbart-sponsored America’s Frontline Doctors, was there attacking the Capitol. I guess it makes sense - she’s putting people’s lives in danger with disproven treatments and quack medicine, so she wanted to threaten lives in a different way.
I don’t know why I’m writing this. I keep my Facebook around for dissemination of information, but this is also where I’ll have to deal with people trying to compare January 6th to the BLM riots (false comparison because of the underlying ideology, aims, and history) or even calling the terrorists patriots. But I don’t want to sweep it under the rug, either.
Our country is not okay, and probably won’t be for a while. But as Dr. Abdul El-Sayed says, “we have to call it what it was, redress what happened, and hold accountable the people who did [it]. Only then can we expect any healing.” #Jan6th