Demanding a Full Account of January 6th – GDN Exclusive

by 09/13/2021

John Caldwell

We must stand up for America, as Americans. We all must demand a full accounting of those responsible for the events leading up to the siege at the United States Capitol on January 6th, 2021. We must recall the terror we each felt as we watched in real time, the mob mixed with paramilitary style forces descend on the symbolic center of our democracy, of our republic. We must never forget that horrific sight of anarchy unfolding at the US Capitol like never before if we hope to prevent it from happening again.

With all due respect to the registered Democrats, registered Republicans, registered Unaffiliated (so-called independents), and yes, the nonvoters eligible to vote, America must have all our collective voices and pens in full force defense mode. We all must break our silence to demand those responsible for the sedition, for the insurrection, for the violation of law, to be held to account for their transgressions.

Pursuit of the truth behind whatever led up to the assault on our nation, and the prosecution to the fullest extent of the law must be the only path allowed. Too many members of the Armed Forces (Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, and Sailors) have given their lives to uphold and defend that which the US Capitol is supposed to represent.

And more to this moment, officers of the law – the Capitol Police, as well as DC Metropolitan Police – were beaten physically, psychologically, and mentally, up to and including their making the ultimate sacrifice to defend the republic. So, now we must stand up for them, for ourselves, for each other, for America and demand an accounting!

While some may press to move on, the suggestion to not proceed with such accountability presents a grave threat to democracy, and to our Nation.

All the way up to the former President, Donald J. Trump – if found complicit – must fully be prosecuted as the US Constitution prescribes and standing law dictates.

Elected officials involved in enabling the former president to derail our ability to transfer power peacefully must resign or be expelled from office. And those Americans who attacked the seat of America’s government must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law – period.

The language and rationale of adverse messaging, to move on and reconcile harkens back centuries to patterns of avoidance of justice that keeps our Nation from substantive healing and authentic unity.

Healing our great divide requires a reality check, unvarnished truth, and equitable accountability.

During our generation’s most critical, defining moment of our Nation’s history, the high ground is not about Democrats or Republicans. The high ground is about being American, rather than continuing to cultivate an anti-American mindset, by either side of the great divide.

Framing this moment as a partisan vantage point is the worst possible position to proceed from. The very essence of democracy – the right to select who represents a sovereign people – hangs in the balance of our most recent insurrection. With it, further demise of democracy threatens our American project. Coupled with the unrelenting attack on the Spirit of the 15th and 19th Amendments by way of 21st Century voter suppression, are unforgivable treasonous acts.

In the memory of all who have given their lives to secure the franchise we owe this debt to stand up as a people, ready to fight for the land of our birthrights.

This moment cannot and should not be reduced to partisan gamesmanship. Our children and the world are watching what we WILL do as Americans.

We must demonstrate we will defend the fundamental right to select our leadership. We must show enemies, foreign and domestic, our measure of resolve to protect our collective interest as Americans.

And to be clear, this high ground suggested in the 21st Century must be all inclusive as we define in theory, practice, and execution who we mean by Americans – who it is we are gathering at this most high point.

We must recognize the very act of defining an inclusive America demonstrates that the anti-American mentality will no longer be tolerated, comforted, avoided, or ignored. Those who suggest we who have greater amounts of melanin in our skin are not Americans better rethink that position.

It does not matter if you are a White Supremist or his Black tool, we should never cede control of the formidable fighting force of America, or the levers that control it to the racist agenda. The military as well as the government must serve ALL Americans.

We must remember all the ways injustice has been served to our ancestors, Black, White, and in between to illuminate the tactics employed by Confederate Supremist and their Confederate Negroes.

As Americans, we have responsibilities and a duty to uphold. We must defend the United States Constitution, as well as the greatest architectural symbol birthed out of that living document: The People’s House, the United States Capitol.

We Americans must hold everyone responsible to account for the attack and siege of the US Capitol on January 6th, including the former President of the United States. That accounting must also include the enablers at every level, in every institution, of every suasion. That cannot wait!

And to only pursue the countless misguided seditious prone Americans while ignoring the guides who whipped them into a hate filled mindset will be the greatest tragedy possible. The persons, organizations, and other entities that knowingly participated in making “Big Lies” into these people’s “half-truths” bear the greatest responsibility.

Our social contract, the US Constitution and its Amendments, do not speak one word of party affiliation. Rather contained in the document’s language is an aspirational idea that seeks to operationalize the fundamental truth that we Americans all are “created equal, with inalienable rights.”

We must recognize it as aspirational because far from perfection, our Nation has struggled to define who we mean when we say Americans, in this journey to perfect our union. The right to vote and hold office has been the core contention of a mindset fixed on exclusion, stretching back to America’s birth.

Please be under no illusions or wishful thinking at this historic moment, as well as these historical times. We must stop avoiding the hard truth. Our democracy is under grave threat of a disease that has been festering for generations. And while some may believe this is just a mild ailment, to be treated lightly, many recognize, know, and understand differently. This cancer of racism and hate has increasingly morphed into subtle, virulent forms of policy, practice, and belief rooted systemically and propagated institutionally in each generation over the American centuries.

Our stand as Americans must be resolute, courageous, and sincere if we are to have remedy and healing. We cannot cave into fear of what these people might do, or the fight we might have to engage to defend our Nation, to defend truth. The legacy of corrupting lines of division, and inequitable pursuit of justice must be brought down by exposure, and accountability before veritable healing can commence.

Silence can no longer be an option. It is all our duty to support and defend our United States Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Pursuit of the truth and prosecutions must happen now. Any less will be our generation’s abdication to protect an aspirational ideal we know as the United States of America, and history will record this historic moment when Americans, en masse, failed in our collective duty.

Let us stand together, as Americans of the United States, as we call for accountability and justice moving forward to perfect our union.

Respectfully, a Fellow American, John Caldwell.

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