Remember, Remember January 6

Gunpowder, treason, and plot

We remember Pearl Harbor. And D-Day. And 9/11. We even remember the Alamo. Why don’t we 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.

Pearl Harbor fueled our resolve all through bitter years of war, and I still see posts on Facebook about it, more than eighty years later. September 11 was remembered for decades. But January 6?

Remember, remember the fifth of November,

Gunpowder, treason, and plot.

I see no reason why gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot.

To this day, the Brits, who have long memories, always set off fireworks on the anniversary of their Treason Day, November 5th, 1605, when Guy Fawkes and his gang tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament and murder all the members of the government. But we ignore our most important national day, even though it happened only 4 years ago.

Somehow, we’ve forgotten that on January 6, a mob stormed through the halls of our Capitol. We’ve 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***ing b*tch.”

We’ve forgotten the police officers brutalized, crushed in doorways and assaulted with bear spray. We’ve forgotten the 140 police officers injured in the attack. Four officers who responded to the attack died by suicide within seven months.

Maybe we’re forgetting because it seems so unreal. Science fiction crazy, like a mediocre movie watched sleepily on late-night TV. We’ve all seen the White House virtually blown up by aliens and terrorists so many times, it hardly seems shocking to see smoke and tear gas billowing from the Capitol.

Or maybe we forgot it 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. Only a few hours. If you blinked you missed it. Wait, was that real?

But we came close to the precipice that day. Now we’re inching back to it, closer than ever.

So at least let’s remind people of what happened on that day. Post on social media. Talk about it. Ask your kids if they remember it. Tell them the story if they’re hazy on the details.

And celebrate the day. We don’t have a lot to celebrate these days, let’s savor what we can. As we stare nervously into the void of 2025, it’s good to pause and remember a day when reason and sanity prevailed, when law and order won. A day when our country showed its best side as well as its worst.

Dear Friends,

Are you worried about the state of the world and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.

Every now and then I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.

Together, I think, we can really make a difference.

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”

--Noam Chomsky