We are at a crossroads in this country.
Today, as we cherish our democracy, violent riot Donald Trump instigated it four years ago. At the same time, Congress is expected to certify the results for Trump to become president of the United States again. President Trump is expected to pardon many of the insurrectionists who took part in the Capitol siege.”9 minutes”After taking office.
Isn't this a betrayal of our government, our constitution, and our country? Do we no longer believe in the responsibility of the extremists who desecrated the Capitol and attacked police officers under the banner of an authoritarian?
My colleagues and I who defended the Capitol that day do not have the privilege of forgetting the January 6th riot. For me, it still feels like yesterday.
I served in the U.S. Army and witnessed violence in combat, but I never expected to see similar brutality inside the Capitol. I was assaulted by a mob for five hours. I barricaded myself in the tunnel and was taking blow after blow from the mob. Makeshift weapons and stolen police equipment. In the end I was covered in my own blood. Exhausted, overwhelmed, and downtrodden, I didn't know if I'd ever get home to see my wife and kids. That horrifying memory is burned into my mind. I'll never forget that feeling.
Like many other police officers who served that day, I have undergone years of mental and physical therapy and two surgeries to heal the wounds, but I have never truly heard that feeling from me. It never went away. It changed the trajectory of my career and life. Trump and his mob not only took away my health, but the lives of me and my fellow officers.
According to Trump and MAGA Republicans, January 6, 2021love day” If being beaten and trampled by a violent mob is love, then Trump and the insurrectionists who attacked me under his banner loved me to death. During my shift that day, I wasn't focused on the impact of the attack. I was just doing my job.
Let me be clear: Republicans in Congress will not support law enforcement if they support pardons for people who violate law and order, attack police officers, and attempt to overthrow the government.
Kellyanne Conway said: On Fox News, she said Democrats believe that “every morning when you wake up and look at your calendar on your iPhone, it says January 6th. That date will never change.” Now, the officers who were seriously injured protecting the Capitol will never forget that day. President Trump and Republicans in Congress who have not spoken out against the atrocities of January 6th are standing against law enforcement, the will of the voters, and the Constitution.
Donald Trump ran for a second term to avoid responsibility for his crimes. Republicans in Congress are complicit in his contempt for the rule of law. They don't just want to move on from January 6th, they want to suppress the indelible mark this blatant attack left on American history. They cannot face up to the fact that their lies sparked a deadly riot, and their inaction is a betrayal of all that. 140 police officers Those injured or killed in the aftermath of the attack.
Until Donald Trump and the American people truly accept how close they came to losing their democracy, the date may as well remain January 6, 2021.
I don't hate Trump or his supporters. Some of them are my relatives. What I can't stand is the irreparable damage they and their lies have done to this country, especially when I know we are risking our lives to protect their country. Even more so. But Congressional Republicans have no desire to create a bipartisan commission to investigate this attack or find the courage within themselves to convict Trump, whose supporters are trying to harm them. I couldn't even do that.
To this day, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) refuses to hang up. ceremonial shield Two years ago, Congress passed a bill to create a building inside the Capitol to honor the police officers who fought to protect it. This is a fundamental betrayal of law enforcement and the rule of law. When Trump walks through the tunnel again where I was nearly killed by his followers, he should read the names of all the officers he betrayed in his pursuit of power.
All members of Congress, including Republicans in both chambers, have a duty to loudly and publicly oppose pardoning criminals who have assaulted and attempted to kill their colleagues and police officers. The American people also have a role to play. They must call on their elected officials to publicly oppose pardoning those who stormed the Capitol to overturn democracy.
The rule of law applies to everyone. There is a difficult road ahead, but if we all work together and fight to protect our democracy, we will finally turn the page on January 6, 2021 and protect our democracy for future generations. You can do it.
Sergeant Major Aquilino Gonell, a former Capitol Police officer and Courage for America council member, was seriously injured while protecting the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. He is a co-author of the following books: “American Shield: The Immigrant Sergeant Who Defended Democracy”
