EDITOR’S NOTE
was “heartbroken” over the death of a Capitol Police officer, denouncing the violence that he acted as a catalyst for. This is not the time for unity with people like that, it’s a time to unify against them. I do not doubt for a second that, come Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, there will be many more of these extremists hitting the streets of D.C. and towns and cities around the country looking to make one last desperate attempt to refuse the results of the election in a hissy fit of violence. We can only hope that the movement has been slowed enough by the false start on Jan. 6 so there’s not enough momentum to even take their efforts seriously.
In all honesty, it’s that last group that scares me the most at this point. These are the people who swear up and down that Antifa was behind the Jan. 6 insurrection despite the fact that their brethren in D.C. left long, easy-to-follow trails tracing their own journeys of cognitive dissonance. Looking back now, we were always headed here. From the moment in June 2015 when Trump stepped on that goddamn escalator to the applause The Jan. 6 riots were the of actors he had paid $50 a piece to cheer him on inevitable result of a while he announced he would run for president, we purposeful break from were destined for this point. It was a genius strategy, really, to build a base by reality scapegoating the one group that would be willing to hold him accountable. BY RYAN PITKIN “Fake news” was an Like anyone with half a effective rallying cry as well heart, brain and/or soul, I as a strong protective shield watched the events of Jan. 6 against responsibility, and unfold with a certain level of as it became stronger, folks shock and disgust. Surprise, hunkered down in their echo though? Not so much. chambers and lost touch The next day, I saw with reality for possibly the people posting on social last time. media about their inability to And that’s how you end focus due to what they had up with folks streaming out seen on the previous day. I of the Capitol like kids on a wondered why I was going field trip, “Murder the Media” about my day like any other. etched into a door next to Should I feel guilty for these them, not seeing a single apathetic thoughts? thing wrong with what they Then it slowly came were doing. to me. What I was feeling Nevermind the fact that wasn’t apathy, it was relief. inside the Capitol, a woman Throughout the entirety of had been shot and killed by 2020, and for quite some police for trying to climb into time before that, I was the Speaker’s lobby where concerned with what violent members of Congress were response might follow sheltering. the presidential election, Forget that outside, especially if Joe Biden were officer Brian Sicknick was PHOTO BY J.M. GIORDANO clinging to life after being to win. THE CAPITOL WAS ENVELOPED IN TEAR GAS AND SMOKE AS A MOB DESCENDED ON IT ON JANUARY 6. What we saw on that hit over the head with a Wednesday was not the end of it by any means, in in office for more than 72 hours before taking part I know that may sound naive, but the cracks fire extinguisher then beaten further by Trump my opinion, but it wasn’t the worst-case scenario. in a coup. Between his election and his swearing- have already begun to show. supporters. He would later die, as well. Now, my point here is not to downplay the events; in ceremony, Cawthorn kept at it, telling a crowd What in December was a stupid but strong Despite this and other incidents of violence that that shit was downright scary and right-wing of young people at the Turning Point USA Student movement of serious people objecting to the occurred that day and into the night, the mood there extremists straight-up bludgeoned a cop to death Action Summit on Dec. 20 to “call your congressman election even when they knew they were wrong remained festive. When you purposefully make the only for their supporters to scoff and say it must and feel free, you can lightly threaten them, say … has now been splintered into three factions of truth your enemy, you can live in any fantasyland have been Antifa. That should never be forgotten. ‘If you don’t support election integrity I’m coming conservatives: those who remain vigilant and you like. And that’s my point. Don’t forget it. Unsuccessful after you, Madison Cawthorn’s coming after you, dangerous, those who have backtracked and will do I just hope we don’t let them drag us into the coups tend to be followed by successful ones, everybody’s coming after you.’” anything not to be lumped in with the first group, rabbit hole with them. especially when they’re not taken seriously enough. His supporters went after the people he wanted and those who are so far gone they’ve lost touch That’s not what unity looks like. Now is not the time to let bygones be bygones. them to go after, and afterwards he tweeted that he with reality.
WE WERE ALWAYS HEADED HERE
Pg. 4 JAN 13 - JAN 26, 2021 - QCNERVE.COM
I’ve seen all sorts of conservative folks trying to unity plea their way out of responsibility for what happened on Jan. 6, but it can’t be that easy. We’ve seen folks getting pulled from their homes and arrested because they were dumb enough to live-stream their participation in an insurrection from their Facebook account — like South End on a Saturday, not a mask in sight. How are you going to try to take down the government then think you can fly back home using your government name? But that’s the easy part. Next you need to go for the leaders who called for these actions. Here in North Carolina, that means Rep. Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina’s 11th district. This man was not
RPITKIN@QCNERVE.COM
