Jan. 6: How Soon We Forget

Remember, Remember January 6

It’s amazing how quickly even the most shocking events are forgotten. Remember the Australian wildfires of 2020 that killed a billion (yes, a billion) wild animals? Remember Harry and Meghan? Celebrity scandals linger deliciously in the mind, but unpleasant events evaporate like dew.

But we remember Pearl Harbor. And 9/11. Why don’t we remember January 6?

Each of those dates was a time when our country was under attack. Pearl Harbor fueled our resolve all through the bitter years of war, and I still see posts on Facebook about it, more than eighty years later. September 11 was remembered for decades, although the memory is fading now. But January 6?

Honestly, I’ve almost forgotten that on January 6, only 3 years ago, a mob stormed through the halls of our Capitol. I’ve all but forgotten the nooses and zip-ties they carried. Forgotten the nutty guy with the horns and the facepaint howling in the halls of Congress. Forgotten the chants about killing the Vice President, and the rioters hunting for the Speaker of the House, screaming “hang that f****** b****”.

It’s hard to believe when you really think about it—more outlandish than a super-hero movie. We came close to losing American democracy on that day. Such an enormous fact, it’s hard to get my mind around it.

Maybe we’re forgetting because it was over so fast. Out of sight out of mind. By evening the mob had fled and Congress was back to its business of certifying the election. But we came close to the precipice.

Now we’re inching back to it, closer than ever. How can we make sure that events like those of January 6, 2021 never happen again?

One way, I think, is to remind people of it. Post on social media. Talk about it. Attend a rally commemorating the day. Make a donation to a progressive candidate and tell people why. Ask your kids if they remember it. Tell them the story if they’re hazy on the details.

And celebrate the day. After all, there was a happy ending—this time. It’s a day when reason and sanity prevailed, when law and order won, when our country showed its best side as well as its worst.

Happy January 6!

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photo credit: AP file