Where were you on 1/6/21?

Commentary

A year later and we’re no closer to the truth than we were on 1/7/21. While 2/3 of GOP voters believe “that there’s been too much focus on January 6”

Many of us remember where we were when a significant event occurred. I only remember two.

The first was on November 22, 1963. I was sitting on a bench overlooking the Queens College Student Union, on a break between classes, when I noticed a crowd gathering outside the Union building. As I walked down to find out what was going on, a fellow student told me that Kennedy had been shot. Another said that they were rushing him to the hospital but that he’d probably be OK. But Texas governor Connelly might not survive. Oops!

The second was January 6, 2021. I was sitting in the car while Sharon was shopping for fabric at Boca Bargoons Fabrics when the alert flashed on my iPhone. “Mob attacking U.S. Capitol!”. I immediately clicked on one of my phone’s news channels and listened in disbelief. When I ran into the store to get Sharon, one of the sales people asked if they could help me. “I’m looking for my wife, the Capitol is being attacked,” I horrifyingly replied.

Today is January 6, 2022, exactly one year after the most serious attack against the U.S. Capitol since the War of 1812. One year after and we’re still trying to find out “who knew what and when did they know it.”

Incredible!

• This was the most significant act of domestic terrorism in this country’s history and we’ve made virtually no progress on getting answers.
• A Congressional January 6 committee was formed and immediately boycotted by House Republicans.
• Congressional subpoenas to appear before that committee by both those responsible and those in the know, have been universally ignored.
• We have a DOJ, led by a seemingly frozen “should have been Justice” Merrick Garland, doing little or nothing to get to the bottom of the attack and prosecute not just the actual rioters, but those really responsible; those at virtually every level of the GOP, in and out of government at the time.

After being described by many on the right as just a peaceful visit to the Capitol, a full year has gone by and no one who planned and incited the attack has been held accountable. And those who we’re pretty sure are accountable, have used every measure, legal and dubious, to dodge the truth.

AG Garland said yesterday, “The actions we have taken thus far will not be our last. The Justice Department remains committed to holding all January 6th perpetrators, at any level, accountable under law — whether they were present that day or were otherwise criminally responsible for the assault on our democracy.”

Blah, blah, blah…

Listening to Garland all I could think of were the lyrics to the song “Show Me” from “My Fair Lady”

Words! Words! Words!
I’m so sick of words!
I get words all day through;
First from him, now from you!
Is that all you blighters can do?

The indominable Eliza Doolittle was correct. Enough words. Show me!

Meanwhile, while Garland and his DOJ are slow-walking this investigation, Insider reports,

“A year after the deadly Capitol riot, former President Donald Trump’s campaign to undermine faith in the 2020 election and downplay the events of January 6 is succeeding. 

“Most Republican voters continue to believe that President Joe Biden’s election was made possible by widespread voter fraud, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. And the minority of GOP voters who support Congress’ investigation into the storming of the Capitol has shrunk in recent months. 

“A year into Biden’s term, two-thirds of Republican voters believe the false claim that ‘voter fraud helped Joe Biden win the 2020 election,’ according to an NPR/Ipsos poll published Monday.” 

Insider continues,

“Republican support for the House select committee’s investigation into January 6 has declined over time. In December, 16% of Republicans approved of the committee’s work, down from 18% in October and 25% in July, according to Morning Consult. Approval among Democrats has declined slightly from roughly 80% earlier last year to 76% in December. The share of Republicans who believe it’s important for the government to continue investigating the riot dropped from 46% to 39% between June and October. Two-thirds of Republicans told Morning Consult in October that there’s been too much focus on January 6.“

Wait, what? Two-thirds of Republican voters believe voter fraud helped Biden win? Only 16% approve of the January 6 committee’s work? Only 39% believe the investigation is important. And two-thirds believe “that there’s been too much focus on January 6”?

If Jack Paar was writing this, he’d stop at this point to utter his famous catch-phrase, “I kid you not.”

Problem is Jack, wherever you are, this is not funny. It’s serious.

January 6 was about insurrection, sedition and insurgency, from the very top of the government down to the mob executing the attack. And with each passing day, a significant portion of the “Party of Trump” cares less.

I kid you not!