Did January 6th Save Us?
There is no doubt that the events of January 6th will go down in history as a horrific example of how close we came to a coup and the undermining of our democratic system. The families of those who lost their lives will also be permanently scarred. However, after being there on the 6th and interviewing people essentially calling for Civil War, I think the storming of the capitol on the 6th might have saved us.
I still remember one man saying that if the Congress gave the election to Biden, the people would leave angry and then they would come back armed. It seems that the plan was not to commit mass violence that day but to save it for a future event when they could regroup. I hate to think what could’ve happened if there had not been the event on the 6th and Trump still felt empowered and the nation had not woken up to the danger of these groups. What would the subsequent rallies have looked like? What would have actually happened on inauguration day if Trump would have tried to hold a second rally or “alternative inauguration” instead of quietly flying out to Florida?
The reality was that the events of the 6th gave enough of a slap on the hand for Trump though impeachment, talk of the 25th amendment, banning him from Twitter and Facebook, and widespread condemnation that it took some of the wind out of his sails. At least for a moment his pride was wounded. It also showed those who wanted to engage in further destructive activity that there would be real consequences including jail time. Playing insurrectionist solider was no longer without consequences. Perhaps most importantly it exposed to the nation once again just how absurd this movement was and what the danger of these false narrative about election fraud were. It has not stop the chatter about a fraudulent election but I believe it has lessened it. This also seem to even further damage Trump’s possible chances of running again in 2024, which seemed like a real possibility before that day. It still could happen, but it is much less likely. The events of the 6th will now forever be linked to his legacy.
There is no doubt that January 6 was horrific, and for those who lost loved ones it was the one of the worst days of the lives. However, the reality is that it could’ve been so much worse if the events of that day were used as a rallying call instead of the final act. Enough of the evil was exposed and carried out that it caused real damage including the loss of lives and immense shame to our nation, but it also did create a shift in the American consciousness which I hope we learn from.
