By Anna Levi '24
1/6/21, January sixth 2021, the 6th of January 2021. Whichever way this is written, it is a date that will be engraved in the history books. After the difficulties of 2020, Americans were looking at the New Year for peace, tranquility and calm. With the start of the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, and the change of presidential administration, 2021 seemed to start off right for many people. However, six days into the New Year, many Americans’ hopes and dreams were shattered to bits.
What started as a normal Wednesday, quickly turned out to be a crucial day in American democracy. Before the electoral college recount, where Congress was going to confirm President Biden’s win, thousands of people gathered to listen to Donald Trump’s speech where he stated, “And after this, we’re going to walk down, and I’ll be there with you… We’re going to walk down to the Capitol.” But Trump ended up sitting that one out, not attending the protest, that would later turn into a violent riot.
In the early afternoon, many Trump supporters began violently entering the Capitol, holding Confederate, MAGA and Trump 2020 flags. The Trump supporters later stormed into private offices, sitting in officials’ desks and taking pictures. For many, these images were, and still are scarring. Many Americans knew this was going to happen. After years of the former President spreading conspiracy theories and coining the term “fake news,” this was pretty predictable. Senators and Congresspeople had to be evacuated in the middle of the final count of the electoral college votes, and brought into safe rooms, where the rioters who had entered the Capitol would not hurt them.
For the past four years, Donald Trump has said things are “fake news” whenever news outlets would report anything that didn’t seem to match his ideals. So, it is no surprise that on January sixth, rioters came straight for journalists, their cameras and camera crews. Many cameras were shattered to bits and journalists were attacked, thrown to the ground and beaten. Erin Schaff, a New York Times photographer said, “They threw me to the floor, trying to take my cameras… At this point, I thought I could be killed…”
Sayma Wali ‘24 said it was “shameful to see our former President, Donald Trump, promoting these violent activities and encouraging his supporters to cause destruction to the Capitol in a prior rally. This was a riot, a mob, the acts of domestic terrorism.”
Onisha Huda ‘23 stated that she doesn’t think we can ensure this doesn’t happen again because “this country is built off of white supremacy, racism, and white privilege which was the base of this attack.”
Jane Curry ‘22 said “It did feel surreal when I was watching it and frantically texting my friends. How could Trump supporters literally be storming the Capitol? It didn't make any sense and it still doesn't because the idea is preposterous.”
Emma Pearlman ‘21 says she’s not sure what can be done as of right now, “but I think increasing security is a big thing.”
And now, we look back at this date with shame, and sadness that this is what happened on that fateful Wednesday. Everyone should have a right to have their voice heard, but when it comes to a violent mob, those types of people have to be stopped. This is a day that the American people should never forget, we must learn from our mistakes and make sure nothing nearly close to this ever happens again. We can’t forget the deaths of five people, one of which occured when a police officer was trying to protect the Capitol building and everyone inside. What happened on 1/6/2021 is unacceptable and we should all keep fighting for democracy, because it is the key to a strong, and functioning nation, this has to be a date just as important as Pearl Harbor and 9/11, a day when democracy was almost stolen from us.
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