Where were you when...President Kennedy was shot, Pearl Harbour was bombed, the World Trade Center was hit...questions that surround as these days of infamy as all who were alive remember how they and the country were forever changed. Tomorrow, January 6, 2023, marks the second anniversary wherein the seat of United States government was seiged upon by those angry and riled up by their ruthless, power hungry leader, Donald Trump, with the hopes to overthrow the fair election, seize power and control, and punish those, such as hanging Mike Pence, that did not fall into obedience or 'do what is right' by the standards of Trump and his followers.
Thus, the 'where were you' on this date rings quite differently than the other dates of horror in our national history. If the answer is, at the capital storming it or even at the rally before, you are in a place of guilt. If your answer is, at home slowly coming out of lockdown, then a presumed innocence is held. And, that presumption is right when held up against the letter of the law, however, can there be some truth that guilt is laid upon all of us for the events of January 6, 2021?
This notion of universal guilt is alike that of which I thought watching the events unfold on the day itself (My Country Tis Of Thee!). It's not that I condone the actions of those that attempted to overtake, nor do I find such violence and overhaul a particular healthy means of revolution. But, looking upon the recent events of present history beginning thus from 2016 towards today, the events of January 6th were a final spill over of all the rapids overflowing. Yet, even more, for decades we as a country looked away from that which didn't please, tried to pretend that prejudice and hate were a thing of the past or something not done around these parts. The result of such chosen blissful ignorance was a country content to sleep allowing its government to run rampage abusing their given power for their own gain. (On both sides of the aisle, mind you.) But years upon years of being held down will eventually rise to the top and boil over, pandora's box flying open, making it impossible to look away or hide within the distractions of modern technology.
Therefore, the guilt of those who did not partake in the insurrection of January 6, 2021, is not one that will be tried in a court of law with time to serve through the justice system (as is correct for those that partook), yet we do remain guilty. Guilty of looking away too long, of trying to pretend such hatred did not exist or would go away on its own if we ignored it hard enough, of trying to focus only on that what pleased and made us feel comfortable. Furthermore, we are guilty of our own prejudice and bias, of not trying to truly listen, to examine within and without strengthening our critical thinking skills, thus that change may be imparted, that the reality of hatred and prejudice can be eradicated, and a true, peaceful, and good revolution of the soul and the collective may finally be achieved.
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