Now that over a year has passed since the events of January 6, 2021, it is easier to assess what really happened that day. I was not there so any opinion about the subject comes from a variety of sources over a year’s time.
I’ve decided that I really don’t know if “insurrection” is the correct word. According to Merriam-Webster, an insurrection is : “a usually violent attempt to take control of a government.” There was some violence that day but little compared to insurrections I’ve heard of in the past where attempts to take control of a government were made. Anyone who stormed the capitol building that day who thought they would be taking over the government of the U.S. was sorely misled.
There is no excuse for anyone not allowed access by the appropriate officials to be on the capitol grounds that day. There is no excuse for the bashing in of windows and lawlessness towards law enforcement. It is my opinion that anyone who entered the building that day should be severely fined, if not jailed. Fair fines should even be handed out to anyone who passed what had been a place the public was not allowed that day. I have seen the videos of the actual events and I don’t think 30 arrests is nearly sufficient.
I also hope that security has been beefed up so that if anyone tries anything like this again, the attempt will not be near as “successful.” I would be shocked if some training hasn’t been done and if those protecting our lawmakers didn’t have better means to stop such an event. I’m sure that those unfriendly to our nation have taken note, incredulously, of the ability of some to get past the Capitol security.
It is true that the vast majority of people who went to hear President Trump speak that day went home peacefully. I respect their right to gather and protest an election that they thought had been stolen. At the same time there is no excuse for the actions of a few thousand who thought they would take the law into their own hands and break things and threaten government officials that day.
It is surprising that the group that did storm the Capitol got as far as they did. One breach of the Capitol Building is too much. Several breaches were successful to varying degrees. Several foreign sources that I talked to were shocked that such an event was possible.
You can click HERE to see photos of the event that day. Of course, there are several videos you can watch on YouTube from different points of view.
I understand that the ability of our government officials to discuss disagreements in a civil manner is at an all time low. It is a reflection of the American peoples’ similar disability. Name calling and events like the one on Jan. 6th get us nowhere.
In ending, I must add (as usual) that I think the problems we have in America stem from a spiritual deficiency. I ran into a delivery man the other day who told me that the real answer to our problems can be found at the foot of a cross. I couldn’t agree more. Let us ask God for wisdom and discernment in working with our fellow citizens.
Chris Reimers
Wings of the Wind 
Your quiet but serious words here make a lot of sense, Chris.
I saw it all on tv, it was sent continuously here too. Actually, I did not really feel shock while it was going on, more sort of surprise. Only later did I collect myself and concluded that I had/have been naïve: I would never have thought that could happen in the USA. But it probably says something about humankind, especially when we are in an emotional crowd. I won’t say it couldn’t happen here too; I am sure it could, in any of a number of forms.
That people were killed in the Capitol building, places the rowdy attack on a very serious and shameful level. The underlying beliefs or opinions of the attacking crowd have not given any kind of sense that I have heard of. What we have heard here in Europe that US politicians have said and done about it in the months after, is likely a biased selection, but it is depressing.
It is depressing, Marianne.
I know that the U.S. still has an important place in the world but things have changed quite a bit since Ronald Reagan said in his farewell address to the nation,
“I’ve spoken of the Shining City all my political life. …In my mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, windswept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That’s how I saw it, and see it still.”
I think that America was already in decline when he spoke those words. At the same time, many had great respect for this nation at one time. Much of that is gone and for many good reasons.
So many worked so hard to get us our freedoms and there are forces afoot that seem to want that those freedoms erased.
And it doesn’t help that so many people on the left and the right have taken the low road and resort to name calling because they don’t seem to have any moral high ground. Words that used to mean things mean little now because they are over and inappropriately used.
Wonderful things still happen in this country everyday because they were made possible by the wisdom and humility of so many of our forefathers. I would love to see more of those things get some press but those things don’t sell newspapers (or create hits on online articles). I suppose that is evidence of our sinful nature.
One only need look at the state of so many churches in our country to see one root of our problems. Certain “preachers” have been telling people that if they just have enough faith they will be healthy and wealthy. Some are saying that good works will get them to heaven. After decades of false teachings and moral decay, we are seeing that it doesn’t matter if you are an American or a Norwegian, the truth that we will reap what we have sown holds.
I appreciate your comments, Marianne. Anyone who doesn’t think the actions of many on that day were serious and shameful, as you have noted, need to help me understand how they have that opinion.
Can we put this event behind us and learn something from it? I hope so.
Thanks, Chris. Misguided Christians participated in the preceding “Jericho March” and in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol Building. Many politically-minded believers tried to shift the blame and suggested that undercover Antifa people had been bussed in and led the violence, a theory that never panned out.
Thanks for your comment, Tom. Speaking of the Antifa theories, In just the past couple of days I’ve heard comments on two conservative shows about a person who was riling up the crowd the day of and the day before the “insurrection.” They do have the guy’s name and recordings of him saying they should enter and take the Capitol. If the talking heads have to bring up a singular man to blame for what happened that day, they have lost their case. One of their complaints was that the guy hasn’t gotten in trouble for his actions. Evidently he talked to one of the guys who breached the building just before it happened. I say fine him or put him in jail depending on how severe his crime was.
I thought this was nuanced look at this issue; its the view that’s similar to mine
Thank you, Pastor Jim. It has taken me some time to come to this opinion and I haven’t spent a great deal of time on it. At the same time, the pictures and videos tell a pretty awful story.
Well stated
Chris: “It has taken me some time to come to this opinion …”
That seems a good way. Of course it is not always possible, if urgent matters are moving too fast. But when conditions are quiet enough, so that one can seek varied information, evaluate it, think about it, check it against other information and so on, then surely that is the most reliable method, and not only for this particular issue. How many times have I not formed opinions too quickly …… There is an element of feeling embarrassed if one is to admit that one jumped to a facile conclusion too fast, that one’s initial views were not solid enough. But it is even more, I think, that once you have formulated an opinion, even expressed it to others, then you go on to add more and more bricks to your castle of belief and defend it, your own thoughts tending to favour confirmatory facts and disregard contrary evidence. Is it this tendency to eliminate contrary info that is called cognitive dissonance?
https://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-dissonance.html
Hi Marianne,
I read much of the link you provided and if you are asking me about cognitive dissonance and how it relates to the castle scenario you have mentioned, I don’t know. I would have to study cognitive dissonance more to be able to give you some kind of answer.
I do think that people build castles of belief, sometimes on the flimsiest evidence, but are willing to defend such beliefs quite seriously. Others are more reasonable, of course. And then sometimes castles are built with real bricks.
I think that some of the people who stormed the Capital Building actually thought they were doing the same thing early patriots did at the Boston Tea Party.
Some of them probably still think they did the right thing after all this time.
When a country is at war, it breaks things and kills people. There is always the question if the war is a “righteous” war or not.
We are not at war with ourselves despite the “talk” of some type of civil war. I can’t think of any way a civil war would be possible the way things are organized today. There is no longer a “North” and a “South.” There are “blue” states and “red” states but I don’t see any practical way they could go to war if they wanted to.
The mob that broke things that day had no good reason to do so. Some people died as well, again, for no good reason in my opinion.
I know we don’t always have time to make an informed opinion on somethings. Like you, and everyone else, I have made bad decisions because I lacked time or the wisdom to know what to do in a situation. The people who entered the Capitol that day had to make a decision. If they did not know that what they were doing was wrong I would have to question the castle they have built. Breaking through windows, through barricades, and lines of law enforcement should have been enough to make them realize that they were out of control. How they did not figure that out is beyond me.
Thanks for your encouragement on my latest Nahum post; I’ve been enjoying studying to teach through Nahum; its going to be a slow and hopefully thorough series the next few weeks! Again appreciate your encouragement!
You’re welcome, Pastor Jim. It is obvious to me that you spent a good deal of time studying that power packed short book by one of the minor prophets.
I really liked how you explained it and related practical ways we can learn the lessons taught there.
I’m sure those who have and will be hearing you teach on the subject will appreciate it as much as I did.
Aww God bless you Chris