erikjohansson
Sean Casten4 years ago, I was locked down in the Capitol. When the majority of the Republicans voted to overturn the election AFTER the attack, something broke in Congress that still hasn’t healed. Truth is truth. And while it should never be partisan to defend democracy, we can’t pretend it isn’t.
All of us who were there had partial views in real time. What was happening near us, texts from colleagues, snapshots of TV coverage outside, alerts from USCP. One of the many virtues of the J6 committee was compiling those fragments to explain the totality of what happened.
Memory is an unreliable narrator. Our stories, years later may weave in things we learned about later. And set against that is the continued, willful efforts by Trump & his goons to misrepresent history. Know only that one does not lie about things you’re proud of.
There are a lot of people who work on the hill. Fewer that day because of COVID restrictions, but there are still a lot of (current and former) members, staff, capitol police and other staff with easily-triggered trauma.
With a few individual exceptions, the GOP as a party has still not acknowledged their complicity in the attack and the attempted cover up. That keeps the threat of more violence alive. The best lack all conviction, as Yeats said. But it is the opposite of the oath they took.
I don’t know how we heal from this. Does democracy destroy the authoritarian, anti-democratic forces in the GOP or do they destroy democracy? It will be a close thing. But know that love has the numbers. It will win as long as it has the courage - and endurance - to act.
In the meantime, please spend some part of today elevating the truth. When one entire party and certain social media apps will be awash in disinformation, truth needs volume. If you’re reading this now, you have an amplifier. Turn it up.
As one small contribution to that, here is a piece my oldest daughter wrote for her HS newspaper about her perspectives on the day from the family group chat - with my real time notes appended. https://dgnomega.org/11458/feature/two-perspectives-on-the-insurrection/
Two perspectives on the insurrection: A congressman and his daughter
This story was written by junior Gwen Casten and her father, U.S. Congressman Sean Casten IL(06). This narrative tells what happened on January 6, 2021 and is told from Gwen’s perspective in Downers Grove while receiving updates during school and Representative Casten’s in Washington D.C. while at the U.S. Capitol. Gwen The night before:...
Among those of us who were in the Capitol that day, my experiences weren’t particularly unique. But multiply by that by all who were here, rippling through to their families and friends and you (hopefully) get some part of the way closer to understanding the larger truth…
…at least for those of us who weren’t trying to incite or abet an insurrection as we threw ketchup covered steaks at the wall because of our inability to process our insecurities and psychoses. /fin
Stargeezer Smith@SeanCasten
My layman's view of politics is that the GOP has grown into a hyper-political organization that always looks for opportunities to gain political leverage, and never looks for societal problems to solve. Their views never change, only the tactics to impose those views.
As to GOP voters, I'd say I have no clue. How they would vote for the only President to lead an insurrection against his own government is something my mind cannot comprehend.
David J. Atkinson@SeanCasten I watched #Jan6 unfold on TV with some updates on social media. The magnitude of the threat was incomprehensible in the moment.
I felt this way in Tokyo on 3/11/11 during the great quake, tsunami, and the meltdown of two reactors at Fukushima. As a US gov employee, I had access to reports from our embassy and from military sources. Those were far scarier than public news.
For a decade, a large truck rumbling by would trigger me. I wish you and your family well.
Karyn Campbell@SeanCasten thank you for this stark reminder of chaos and violence of four years ago. It's too bad the GOP has been taken over by a self-serving narcissist who creates a climate of fear so no one will speak out against him an his authoritarian agenda.
Pamela Barroway – Biz Editor@SeanCasten Thank you for all you do, and for maintaining a presence on #Mastodon and the #Fediverse. I have indeed boosted several key toots in your important thread to bring attention to the anniversary of #Jan6.
Simon Brooke@SeanCasten in a head to head fight, money always wins, and money will usually side with the authoritarians. The only solution is to take money out of politics altogether.
Brent Guernsey, Artrocity StudioThe only other time I've felt so angry was the *other* big attack on the U.S. and our democratic way of life in my lifetime, 9/11.
Nicole ParsonsThe deletion of the Secret Service texts means the conspiracy to end American democracy was well funded and far broader than a few thousand deluded MAGA.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/07/29/jan6-texts-data-security/
The involvement of the DOD in Jan 6
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/08/02/pentagon-jan-6-phones-wiped/
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/08/dod-army-january-6-deleted-text-messages
The funding...
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/oracles-ellison-joined-nov-2020-call-about-contesting-trumps-defeat-2022-05-20/
https://www.thedailybeast.com/new-filings-reveal-another-billionaire-dick-uihlein-behind-the-big-lie/
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/10/15/us/harris-trump-election
betonglenthank you and your daughter for sharing this and your service and efforts. I'm sorry you so went through this and the stress to families and friends for those working on our behalf.
🙏🏾✌🏾🖖🏾
a fish named dog ✡️♾️@SeanCasten Off-topic, but thank you for being on Mastodon! It's nice to see congresspeople and other governmental figures joining; hopefully that will make it be viewed as a viable alternative to Elon's site for the general population!
@SeanCasten The mistake is referring to it as “defending democracy”. It should have been called “enforcing law and order” and then maybe the republicans would have had to pretend they support law and order.
Leefeller Guy@SeanCasten "Majority of Republicans voted to overturn the election After the attack"? Jan 6, you mean they voted for Trump?
@Leefellerguy No, they voted to overturn the Arizona and Pennsylvania EC certifications. The objections had started when the attack forced the House to be evacuated but the vote didn’t take place until we could reconvene. The fact that a majority of the GOP voted WITH the seditionists who attacked us, AFTER walking through the cots full of national guard and USCP who had just saved our lives says all you need to know about their character and complicity.
@SeanCasten Thanks, Republicans supported seditionists verifies my view on them.
Doreen32128 ready to rumble!
Jo ♀️🐈🐈⬛🛍️🌛🥂@SeanCasten I hope you recovered from that awful event. It was traumatic just watching it on TV.
Defending democracy should be partisan bc you're either for it or against it. I can't believe we're back to fascist leadership after all the USA has been through 😔
Defending democracy should be partisan bc you're either for it or against it. I can't believe we're back to fascist leadership after all the USA has been through 😔
@SeanCasten whenever Republicans hear the truth, they think it’s controversial , or they say they don’t like politics
Chris Ferguson@SeanCasten As a US congressperson, Thanks for having a Mastodon account. It's nice to see a representative not solely relying on billionaire controlled social media.
Reed's Dad@SeanCasten
Republicans = Anything for power
Democrats = Let's do the right thing and hope for the best
Liberals = if we take 3-6% of democratic votes Republicans will keep financing us.
35% who don't vote = "we are so messed up, I give up"
Republicans = Anything for power
Democrats = Let's do the right thing and hope for the best
Liberals = if we take 3-6% of democratic votes Republicans will keep financing us.
35% who don't vote = "we are so messed up, I give up"
JustKathyWhy is it that no Democrats in Congress ever thought to band together to sue to enforce Sec. 3 of the 14th Amendment?
Have we ripped up the Constitution entirely, then, except for the damned 2nd Amendment?
No Gods , no Masters! RESIST@SeanCasten
And a third of America is so brainwashed they can't figure it out.
And a third of America is so brainwashed they can't figure it out.