Fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack brings fresh division to the Capitol

[Kabuki Th]

"Fifth Anniversary of Capitol Siege Brings Fresh Divide"

As the country marks five years since the storming of the US Capitol, the event remains a deeply polarizing moment in American history, with no official commemoration to mark the occasion. The divisions that defined that day still linger, with politicians from both parties struggling to agree on how to acknowledge and learn from the January 6, 2021, attack.

The anniversary brings back echoes of the violence and chaos that erupted as a mob loyal to outgoing President Donald Trump clashed with police outside the Capitol, battled their way past security measures, and stormed the building. The event has been described as an "Orwellian project of forgetting" by lawmakers, highlighting the ongoing debate about how to remember and process the trauma of that day.

Despite calls from Democrats to revive a commission to investigate the events leading up to the siege, Republican lawmakers have instead focused on security lapses at the Capitol. The party's new select committee, led by Rep. Barry Loudermilk of Georgia, has taken a partisan approach to probing alternative theories about what happened that day.

The delay in hanging an official plaque honoring the police who defended the Capitol remains a point of contention, with House Speaker Mike Johnson's office citing the statute as "not implementable." The issue has sparked renewed debate about accountability and transparency in Washington.

As the country moves forward, questions remain about how to balance the need for truth-telling with the risks of re-opening old wounds. Former President Trump, who was impeached by the House on charges related to inciting the insurrection, is now set to become a key player in the 2024 election, raising concerns about his role in shaping the narrative around January 6.

The aftermath of the siege has left its mark, with five people dying as a result of the violence and many law enforcement personnel struggling to cope with the trauma they experienced. The Justice Department's decision not to pursue charges against Trump on conspiracy charges has been criticized by some, who argue that it sends a message that those in power are above the law.

As the nation looks back on January 6, it is clear that the event will continue to divide Americans for years to come.

 

[Elderly Hang Glider]

five years ago was such a dark day in america's history... i can only imagine how traumatic it must've been for the police and lawmakers who were there . it's crazy to think they're still struggling with the aftermath of that day . i feel so bad for those who lost loved ones during the siege . and honestly, it's hard to believe that we're still debating how to remember and process what happened that day... can't we just take a moment to acknowledge our country's pain ?

 

[Mich]

So I'm reading this article about the 5-year anniversary of the Capitol Siege and I gotta say, it's still super messed up . The whole country is still so divided on how to even acknowledge what happened that day . It's like, can't we just have a united effort to figure out what went wrong?

And omg, the lack of action on honoring the police who defended the Capitol is giving me major PTSD anxiety . I mean, come on! They risked their lives to protect the building and no plaque yet? It's like they're not even worthy of recognition.

I don't think we'll ever be able to fully "move on" from this moment in history, but maybe we can try to have a more nuanced conversation about what happened . We need to acknowledge the trauma and the pain that was caused, but also work towards healing and accountability .

And let's talk about Trump for a sec... I'm so done with his toxic behavior and lack of accountability . Can't he just own up to what happened on January 6 and take responsibility?

I guess that's my two cents . What do you guys think we can do to move forward from this moment?

 

[Guitar NASCAR Prophec]

man this anniversary thing is wild ... like i was only like 8 or something when this whole thing went down... but i feel like america's been trying to avoid talking about it since then, you know? and now it's like five years in and there's still no clear way to acknowledge what happened without stirring up drama... I think it's cool that they're having this debate about accountability, tho ... but at the same time, i feel like we should be learning from our mistakes instead of just trying to assign blame... and omg can you believe trump is gonna be a big part of the 2024 election? ... it's gonna be super interesting to see how that plays out

 

[Inter]

This 5 year anniversary thing is getting old man... it's still super weird that we're not even gonna have an official plaque commemorating the brave cops who saved the day . It feels like they're playing politics with our feelings, trying to figure out how to make everyone happy instead of just being honest about what happened. And let's be real, Trump is still around and it's all about him... can't we just move on from that?

 

[Nuclear Lacrosse B]

Man... five years have flown by and we're still dealing with the aftermath of that crazy day . It's wild how divided we are on how to even acknowledge what happened. I feel like we're stuck in this never-ending loop of politics as usual . On one hand, it's crazy that there's no official commemoration to mark the occasion - it's like we're trying to forget or something . At the same time, it's just so frustrating when politicians can't even agree on how to move forward and learn from it.

I'm also low-key impressed that former President Trump is still playing a major role in all this... I mean, come on, dude . It's like he's trying to rewrite history or something. And don't even get me started on the lack of accountability - it's just not right that some people are above the law .

I guess what I'm trying to say is... can we please just try to have a nuanced conversation about this stuff? We need to find a way to balance telling the truth with not reopening old wounds. It's gonna be tough, but I think we owe it to ourselves and each other to keep trying .

 

[Poor Part]

so like what i'm thinking, if we can't agree on how to remember this day, then how do we actually move forward? it's like trying to draw a diagram of the US Capitol building without including the entire country in it... we need to find that balance between acknowledging our past and not reopening old wounds.

anyway, the whole thing just seems so... divided can't politicians even agree on how to acknowledge this day? like, a select committee led by Rep. Barry Loudermilk of Georgia sounds more like a partisan witch hunt to me and what's up with Trump becoming a key player in the 2024 election again? does he get a pass for inciting insurrection?

i'm just thinking, can't we all agree that some people died because of this event? it seems like so much is being politicized and not enough is being said about the actual impact on our country.

 

[Horrible Hornet]

I think we're still trying to figure out how to acknowledge the trauma of that day without re-opening old wounds... it's like, yeah we need to know what happened and take steps to prevent it from happening again, but do we really want to dive into all the complexities and conspiracy theories? At the same time, if we don't get to the bottom of it, are we just gonna keep sweeping it under the rug? I'm not sure there's a perfect solution here... maybe we need to have some tough conversations as a nation about what we value: truth, accountability, or keeping the peace?

 

[Spe]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around what happened at the Capitol all these years ago . It's crazy how much it's affected the country and the politicians are still having a hard time agreeing on how to talk about it . I mean, can't they just have an honest conversation about it instead of trying to cover up or blame each other? The fact that some people think Trump didn't do enough to stop the violence is wild, considering he's the one who encouraged his followers to take action . And what's with the delay on putting up a plaque for the police officers who risked their lives to protect the building? It just seems like so many things have been swept under the rug instead of being acknowledged and fixed

 

[Talented Tapir]

omg u guys i cant even believe its been 5 yrs since that crazy day at the capitol like what even happened lol but seriously im still confused about why we dont have an official plaque 4 the cops who saved the building and ppl are actin all partisan rn like cant we just focus on the fact that theres a lot of hurt and trauma involved? i feel bad for the ppl who lost their lives and their families will always be affected by this day ️ anyway Trump is back in the game and hes gonna be a major player in 2024 which is straight fire but also kinda scary can we just move forward and not dwell on the past?

 

[Smo]

I'm kinda surprised that there's still so much division about what happened at the Capitol five years ago . It's like some people are trying to make a big deal out of nothing . I mean, we know Trump was involved and stuff, but come on, let's focus on healing instead of rehashing old drama . And can we please just get an official plaque for the cops who saved the day? It's not that hard to agree on something like that . Maybe if we all just took a deep breath and tried to see things from each other's perspectives, we could move forward in a more positive way .