What is the thread that connects the Boston Tea Party, shots fired at Fort Sumter, the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the Kennedy assassination in Dallas, and planes crashing into the Twin Towers in NYC? Each event changed the course of American history.
If you ask me, no matter what you think of Donald Trump today, the January 6, 2021 riot at the Capitol was just as important, if not more so, than what took place in 1773, 1861, 1941, 1963 or 2001. That's because none of them came with a presidential text inviting people to come to Washington because, "It's going to be wild." Let me explain.
Prior to the storming of the Capitol, then-President Trump spoke to a large crowd at the Ellipse near the White House. Nothing wild happened during his speech. Next, hundreds, if not thousands, of Trump supporters marched to the Capitol. Again, nothing wild happened while they were walking. Were organizers like Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers worried their own "wild" predictions were about to fizzle? Hardly.
As if on cue, people quickly breached the security barriers, fought with and injured some 150 Capitol Hill police, stormed up the steps, broke windows and eventually made their way into the halls of Congress. None of this is speculation. Hundreds of hours of video have been viewed by law enforcement officials, members of the House and Senate, and even the courts.
What were these people (many of whom have been called insurrectionists) trying to accomplish? Simply put, their goal was to shred the fabric of our democracy by (1) preventing the counting of electoral college votes that day and (2) preventing the peaceful transfer of power from Trump to Joe Biden two weeks later.
Why am I writing about this now? Because the third anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot is fast approaching. I don't know about you, but this Saturday I won't just be thinking about what happened at the Capitol three years ago, I'll be remembering what took place in Boston, South Carolina, Hawaii, Texas and on 9/11. As a father, grandfather and citizen, I feel this is the least I should be doing.
-DF
Very thoughtful Denny. ( and I didn’t have to be checked for legitimacy today - for lack of a better word)
Wish someone would have organized a nationwide « Day of infamy ».