Unraveling the Aftermath of January 6: A Reflection

Lost Years and Unbearable Anxieties

Most of 2020 and all of 2021 were, of course, almost unbearable lost years, full of weird anxiety, lethargy, isolation, claustrophobia, ennui, nervous overeating, weight gain, and mental health challenges. Even as the pandemic washed over us, pandemic denial, mask and vaccine resistance joined climate-change refusal/denial. Then “Stop the Steal” election narratives ramped up to the shocking Capitol riot.

Dueling Narratives: The Clash of Election Stories

Sad, but not surprising that we found ourselves snagged on opposing election stories. On one side, the popular vote created dancing-in-the-street elation over “taking the country back.” But the other side insisted the very same popular vote had been manipulated by the corrupt, invisible, hidden, “deep state” that really runs the country for its own purposes. And that story never wavered, though legal challenges and ballot recounts failed to find significant election fraud. And that brought us the Capitol riot, with more than 800 breaking into the building. Who were they? Some fit the stereotype, young, unemployed, into extremist groups and anonymous online channels known for conspiracy, racism, anti-Semitism, sexism, denigration of women, pornography. But others were older, employed, without known extremist ties, but equally distrusting of “the system.” Mark Fenster, in Conspiracy Theories (1999, second edition c2008), described parallel worlds, with conspiracies hiding and then being unmasked by those who recognize the “truth.” And so, while some rioters took selfies and some tore things up, others rifled through lawmakers’ desks and papers, searching for “evidence.” A cop tried to reason, suggesting that the rioters were treading on sacred ground. But could they see the Capitol as both sacred ground and the seat of corrupt power at the same time?

Capitol Riot: Breaking Windows and Shattering Confidence

Trying to understand whys and wherefores does not excuse. These folks broke things—windows, doors, cops’ heads and bones, potentially our fragile confidence in the rule of law, and in the implied social contract that holds us gingerly together. For me, a video captured the spirit of the day, showing a single Capitol police officer, Eugene Goodman, who stands alone, facing the advancing mob. He is Black and the image of a man of color menaced, followed, chased by a white mob in the halls of the national Capitol is a graphic and chilling reminder of our darker history. Yet I also detect a more positive storyline. Goodman turned the tale around, smartly using his Black/cop body to distract and lure the mob away from the door to the Senate chamber. By delaying the mob till lawmakers could be led to safety, he saved the country from a far worse outcome. Like Goodman, we may not change minds and hearts, since conspiracy theories seem to be self-feeding and cannot be disproved for those who believe. And yet I hope, if some of us are willing to keep our minds open even a little, we may discover opportunities to turn the national story a little and keep exploring and moving toward whatever light we can make out.

A Chilling Reminder and a Glimmer of Hope

Update: I wrote this piece in the months following the riot. Since then, we’ve seen reframing of the story to recast the rioters as “tourists,” non-violent visitors, not a threat at all. We’ve also seen hundreds of rioters identified, with indictments handed down. Many identifications have been made by regular citizens tracking videos and images online. Rioters made this easy, exerting little or no effort to disguise themselves, being anti-mask after all. They apparently expected to suffer no consequences and, when called to court, have often claimed they didn’t mean it, were caught up in the moment. This is in sharp contrast to triumphant messages they sent on the day itself. Sentences and fines have generally been fairly light. Perhaps that reflects limitations of existing law or it may indicate desire and hope to move toward healing wounds and in the general direction of the light.