An Unwanted Commemoration
The start of a new year marks a new commemoration: January 6, 2021, the day the longstanding American tradition of peaceful transitions of government power met a disgraceful demise. On this day, what was initially perceived as a spontaneous riot during the ceremonial certification of Electoral College votes, in reality, marked the apex of a protracted attempted coup spearheaded by then-President Donald Trump.
As a member of the United States Air Force, I, as with all military members, swore an oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” To me, the “domestic” part seemed purely performative, covering all bases. Why would we ever face a domestic enemy of the Constitution? The idea seemed ludicrous.
But the indisputable fact remains that the events of January 6, 2021 constituted an attempted coup. Extensive investigations have since revealed that the assault on Congress on J6 wasn’t merely an attack on the Capitol or its legislators but an assault on the foundation of our democratic government. Outgoing President Trump orchestrated a multi-pronged plan aimed to remain in power by overturning the results of an election even his administration hailed as “the most secure election in US history.”
Moreover, the J6 attack constituted the climax of a months-long conspiracy by Trump to retain power after his electoral defeat. He sought to sow mistrust in the electoral process by denigrating it for months preceding the 2020 General Election. Late in the evening of Election Day, he groundlessly proclaimed victory and subsequently pressured swing state officials to alter vote counts in his favor, most famously Georgia. His legal team filed over 60 baseless court challenges while others created a plan to fabricate Republican Electors for states he lost, intending to create chaos in Congress so that the election would revert to State Legislatures.
The Capitol attack represented a final act of desperation. Its failure can be credited to the bravery of hundreds of outnumbered Capitol and Metro DC police officers, many of whom endured injuries, and tragically, five lost their lives within days of the attack. More than 1,100 individuals face charges related to the assault, with over 70 of them identified as military veterans.
The involvement of numerous veterans in the insurrection is profoundly disheartening. Every military member takes that oath, to “support and defend the Constitution,” which, for many, transcends military service. Some veterans leveraged their military experience to bolster the attack, disregarding their oath to “uphold and defend the Constitution,” instead choosing to support the unfounded falsehoods propagated by the Trump campaign and attack our own government.
A stark choice looms in the coming year: democracy or dictatorship. I hope my fellow veterans, bound by the same oath as me, will prioritize the Constitution and democracy over partisan allegiance. Our commitment to safeguarding democracy and “government by the people, for the people” must supersede partisan politics.
Photo: United States Capitol (By Martin Falbisoner — Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=129845861)
