(ThyBlackMan.com) During the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, millions of people across the United States watched the events unfold in real time on live television. We saw news broadcasters provide continuous coverage showing how police officers were unable to contain the rioters who eventually breached the U.S. Capitol building. Watching this attack, I found myself in shock and disbelief that something like this could ever happen in our nation. We saw the television images of the hangman’s noose along with the chants of “hang Mike Pence.”
This was a reminder of how lynching is a dark part of our nation’s history that never totally went away. As an angry mob roamed throughout the Capitol building, congressional staff, members of Congress, and Vice President Pence were forced to shelter in place while basically being hunted down. A Confederate flag has never entered the U.S. Capitol building during the Civil War; however, it was carried inside the building by the rioters on this sad day. Video footage from the day showed rioters breaking windows and doors and ransacking offices. Approximately 140 police officers were assaulted.
Yet, despite what we saw with our own eyes, the collective memory of Jan. 6 is fading for most Americans. Polls show that only a small percentage of Americans now identify the Jan. 6 insurrection as the defining moment of Donald Trump’s presidency. Efforts to downplay or distort the Jan. 6 events turned this historical political crisis into something seen through political rather than patriotic and moral filters. As a result, our government’s built-in systems of checks and balances failed the nation making full accountability to an emboldened president unobtainable.
Despite the growing threat to democracy, too many people simply do not care about what Jan. 6 means to our nation. Some felt it was justified. Several Republican lawmakers and commentators went as far as to refer to the Jan. 6 rioters as “tourists.” This reframing and whitewashing of the narrative was not isolated, but part of a larger effort to minimize the severity of the violence, and to discredit the Jan. 6 investigation. The tactic of false counter-narratives will always resonate with those who are consistently drawn to conspiracy theories. This is particularly true as Donald Trump continued to spread lies about the 2020 election, claiming that a massive conspiracy robbed him of a second term.
Lying is proving to be an effective political strategy for conservatives because so many people are willing to disbelieve the facts and evidence while accepting untrue conspiracies, even when the truth and facts are crystal clear.
For example, the facts and evidence proved that while Critical Race Theory (CRT) analyzes how laws and policies perpetuate racial disparities and systemic racism in society, it was not taught in K-12 public schools as a formal curriculum. Yet, conservative politicians and media figures used CRT as a rallying dog whistle to undermine any efforts to address racism or promote equity. The furor over CRT was used as a symbol for broader grievances about changing social norms and racial justice. “We’re saying, what is the fuss about?” said Lynn Daniel, a ninth-grade English teacher in the Phoenix area. “We don’t get it. This objection is being pushed upon us, and it’s not even happening in our classes. I don’t understand it.”
Those on social media amplified the false narrative and misunderstandings to fuel the outcry that CRT is “indoctrinating children” and promoting anti-white sentiment. Even when most Americans, including educators, do not accurately understand what it is. The term “woke” emerged as a call to remain vigilant, alert and conscious of racial injustice and social inequality. The anti-woke movement was a direct backlash to the racial justice activism that followed the George Floyd protests. The “anti-woke” rhetoric was used to reframe discussions on CRT and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as discriminatory, divisive, and a threat to traditional values.
The negative impact from the anti-CRT, anti-woke, and anti-DEI movement by ill-willed people became further entrenched when good-willed people of all races chose not to pay attention and stay informed of the truth. The racial backlash has consequences for people of color and their communities. Therefore, there needs to be a backlash to the backlash, where dissent and criticism are not silenced by denying individuals their right to free speech.
The same conservatives who wrongly reframed the meaning of CRT, wokeness, and DEI have also attempted to reframe what it means to be a Christian who loves his brother. They also forget that empathy, diversity, equity, and inclusion are Biblical principles of unity. While the Charlie Kirk murder has further divided the nation racially and politically, he did not deserve to be killed. As a Christian, his legacy does not totally reflect the character of Christ. Kirk once stated, “I can’t stand the word empathy. I think empathy is a made-up new age term that—it does a lot of damage.”
Empathy is defined as “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.” Wokeness is a form of empathy for the plight and suffering of others. Words will always matter. Words possess both destructive and healing power. Harmful and false language resulting from the anti-CRT, wokeness, and DEI movements can inflict lasting and emotional wounds. Congressman Bennie Thompson was chairman of the January 6 House committee. He, in good conscience, could not vote in favor of the Charlie Kirk Resolution. I agree with his sentiment and vote.
Written by David W. Marshall
Official website; https://davidwmarshallauthor.com/
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