Jan 6

I watched the events of Jan 6, 2021 unfold on every news channel and even texted my sons to stop what they were doing and tune in to witness a coup taking place in the United States of America. It was one of the rare occasions when news coverage was unbiased across the media landscape (even Fox News could only report what was evident). It was also one of the few times in recent memory that members of Congress, from all political backgrounds, openly shared their genuine thoughts and outrage about the situation. They were all "united" in their condemnation of this violent attack on our democracy. While a few Republican lawmakers tried to show solidarity with the insurrectionists (even as they sought refuge in bunkers from the violent mob), most agreed that what was happening was an attempted insurrection and were unanimous about who was responsible.

At the end of the day, only one insurrectionist was killed while trying to breach a barricade, whereas 174 police officers were injured. Through investigations and extensive manhunts, many of the insurrectionists were eventually captured, tried, convicted, and sentenced to prison. The leader, who denied any responsibility and claimed he did nothing wrong, was impeached but faced no real consequences. However, the story doesn't end there; the leader somehow returned to the White House, and his first action was to grant presidential pardons to all the insurrectionists, viewing them as political prisoners. While there was some outcry about this, nothing overrides a presidential pardon, and the insurrectionists who attacked the United States Capitol to disrupt a formal proceeding, were released without any further consequences. This is real American history that we are all witnessing and living through.

Over time, the current version of the Republican Party has attempted to downplay the events of January 6, 2021, to the point where one senator allegedly joked that the insurrectionists were simply American citizens touring the Capitol Building. Many people still believe the conspiracy theories about January 6—it was a false flag operation orchestrated by the FBI, Antifa (an anti-fascist left-wing group) infiltrated the "peaceful protesters" and incited the chaos, and my favorite, the deep state was behind it! Conspiracy theorists claim that evidence supporting these theories will be revealed soon. Without belittling those who believe these conspiracy theories, I don't subscribe to any of them. If they are interested in reading the Jan 6 Commission report, they would see that these theories have been debunked—but if they don't trust the Commission report, I guess that leaves them with their conspiracy theories as they continue to await the "real proof" to emerge soon!

America has a short attention span and some have chosen to move on and act as if January 6 never happened. However, I believe it has happened again, not with self-proclaimed patriots erecting a gallows for the VP, storming the Capitol, vandalizing offices, and directly threatening Congress members. This time, it was manifested through the election of extreme right-wing officials who show little concern for their constituents. These officials are actually being encouraged by the GOP to avoid town halls back home due to backlash over the actions of the current administration--mass layoffs of federal workers, tariff wars with our neighboring countries, and a chaotic foreign policy. All aspects of our government, including having the POTUS manage the Kennedy Center for the Arts, are affected. An unelected billionaire under the guise of government efficiency, is responsible for cutting the institutions that form the backbone of our democracy. While I was willing to give the benefit of the doubt to those disappointed by the 2016 election results, January 6 was a turning point for me! I see it as another day that will live in infamy as it was the precursor to a more sinister plan to reshape our democracy in a way that does not serve the people as the Constitution intended!

Many Americans are tired of hearing about January 6 and the surrounding conspiracy theories. However, I view it was far more than just a group of so-called patriots (insurrectionists) attempting to overturn an election. It marked the beginning of what we now witness in Washington: chaos, discord, confusion, and the rise of an oligarchy. I am not as much mad as I am disappointed that we have allowed this to occur in our country. Yet, I view these challenging times as a test of our strength and commitment to our democracy and I remain hopeful that we will endure and emerge even stronger!