Let us remember what happened on that date. It was a day of 187 MINUTES OF INSURRECTION AND DERELICTION OF DUTY. Supporters of the 45th president went to the U.S. Capital Building while a joint session of Congress was in session to the final counting of the Electoral College votes for the 2020 presidential election.

On that day hundreds of people attacked the Capital Police, stormed into the Capital Building and vandalized the outside and inside of the building. They were looking for certain members of Congress and perhaps wanting to kidnap them or also to harm them. The insurrection against our democracy was all based on a “BIG LIE.” The big lie was that the election was stolen and there was widespread voter fraud, all this being said by the now former 45th president of the United States. It was proven in all the courts that there was no widespread voter fraud. It was called a BIG LIE and it is still “THE BIG LIE” now and forever.

It is important to note a House of Representatives committee was formed to investigate this insurrection and dereliction of duty. That committee has completed their findings on how and why it happened and also who was responsible. It is now available to the American people. Their final report has been given to the Department of Justice3 for possible indictment of people who were responsible for breaking the law in this insurrection.

Let us all remember people died and many were injured because o this insurrection against our democracy.  This date, along with other dates, will be in our history books. Dates such as Dec. 7, 1941; June 6, 1944, Sept. 11, 2001; just to name a few. We will not ever forget July 4, 1776, when our Founding Fathers brought forth a new nation conceived in liberty and justice for all.

Our Founding Fathers dedicated their lives and fortunes to bring these United States as a new nation of people to seek life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Any such action like what took place on Jan. 6, 2021, would be a total and despicable insult to those Founding Fathers and the many others who followed.

Let us remember as patriotic Americans we must exercise our right to vote in all federal elections and be aware of who we vote for. It’s been said that we the American people have the responsibility to defend our democracy against all foreign and domestic enemies, and many have given their lives doing so. This is why we remember those patriotic Americans on Memorial Day every year.

In this two-year anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and a dereliction of duty, we Americans must always be doing our patriotic duty to vote and follow the rule of law. For this ongoing year of 2023, let justice be served to those who not only broke the law but also became unpatriotic Americans of the United States.

Thomas E. Carter

Rio Rancho