How the events that unfolded on the U.S. Capitol one year ago today are viewed depends on a person’s political lens.
Democrats say they worry about the future of democracy in the wake of an unsuccessful coup attempt while Republicans say it is time to work together and not demonize all of the people who were swept up in the moment last Jan. 6.
To date, 738 people have been charged after a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol in hopes of stopping the presidential vote certification. About 70 of those people have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced. Only some of the sentences include jail time. Charges are mostly misdemeanors, such are demonstrating in the Capitol, disorderly conduct, being in a restrictive area and disruptive activity. Robert Palmer, of Largo, Florida, has received the longest sentence so far of five years for attacking police officers.
A House committee is in the midst of investigating the events of that day and those leading up to it, seeking information from many of former President Donald Trump’s inner circle.
James Wieser, chairman of the Lake County Democratic Party, said his thoughts have about what transpired that day have remained unchanged.
“I feel more strongly now than I did Jan. 6, 7 and 8 and around that time. I thought what was taking place was an insurrection — people engaged in an attempt to overthrow the government of the U.S., pure and simple,” Wieser said.
“There is no way in the world that activity can be excused or that activity can be accepted for anything other than what it was, an attempt to overthrow the government inspired by the rhetoric of the then president and some of his minions,” he continued.
While Republicans including Dan Dernulc, the chair of the Lake County Republican Party, and State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell, decried the violence of the day, they stopped short of calling the events an insurrection and expressed concern some of those in the aftermath are being unfairly targeted.
“I don’t want there to be witch hunt for people who might have been there, including elected people,” Dernulc said.
Dernulc said people need to be civil and work together in order to move the country forward.
“Although a lot of us might have our concerns about the election — there’s been a lot of talk of it having been stolen — show me the facts, show me the proof and we will go from there,” Dernulc said.
Dernulc said he thinks people were upset about the outcome of the election when they converged on the Capitol that day. A lot of those people felt there was fraud in the election.
“I believe it was an issue. Was it enough to put the results aside? I don’t know. I have not seen proof,” Dernulc said.
The election results had been certified by all 50 states when the attack happened.
Niemeyer shared his concerns about the election and the reason for people wanting to protest. He said the violence of that day was unacceptable.
Niemeyer said he has no personal direct information about the attack on Jan. 6 but has seen the aftermath.
“Nobody condones violence. I don’t condone taking the law into your own hands,” Niemeyer said.
Niemeyer said he firmly stands behind the right of people to peacefully protest, even if it is at the Capitol, but once something is done that is not within the law he cannot support it.
“I want to stress that I absolutely support their right to be in Washington, D.C., that day to protest and make their point,” Niemeyer said “But then, as always, a certain percentage or few crossed that line and caused the situation.”
Dernulc, the Republican Party leader questions whether or not the people attacking the Capitol were trying to overthrow the government. He is bothered by the use of the word insurgency to describe the day’s events.
“There was no insurgency. Nobody has been convicted of insurgency,” Dernulc said. “I am more concerned there is a concerted effort to possibly do damage to some of these people politically, even personally.”
While he said he was totally against storming the Capitol, describing the actions as “absolutely wrong,” he is concerned what is transpiring now may create more of a wedge between people.
Dernulc blamed the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for not providing police with the manpower resources they had requested prior to Jan. 6.
“I blame the leaders of the House at that time, too. It seems like there were some issues they fell on,” Dernulc said.
According to a USA Today and Associated Press fact check, the speaker of the house is not responsible for the U.S. Capitol Police. Oversight includes representation from the Architect of the Capitol, the House and Senate Sergeants at Arms along with committees from both Houses of Congress. Both entities site responses from U.S. Capitol Historical Society regarding the chain of command and whether the house speaker was in control.
“I don’t have a solution other than let’s try and work together and tone down the rhetoric … I’m concerned for our Republic,” Dernulc said.
Weiser said what has been learned since that day by the Senate Select Committee investigating the events of that day, is there is a likelihood the effort was more organized than he ever thought.
Wieser said he believes some of the people there on that day were misled and were not really part of the orchestrated movement to overthrow the government who allowed themselves to be caught up in the moment.
“There clearly was an organized effort among probably disorganized groups to do this. There is no doubt in my mind about that,” Wieser said.
Wieser has spent his life in the political realm in elected positions, as an attorney and now as party chair. He said he is “sick and tired” of the way legislators have flip-flopped on their view of what transpired that day.
“It shocks the conscious people do that for political reasons and in the meantime justify and organized attempt to overthrow the government,” Wieser said.
He said the immorality of chants that day calling to “hang Mike Pence” and construction of a gallows is as bad as it gets.
“I like what the committee is doing, getting to the core of it,” Wieser said
Yu Ouyang, associate professor of political science at Purdue Northwest, said studies over the past several years show democracy in the U.S. is on decline for various reasons bringing the possibility the U.S. could lose its current form of government closer to reality. He said this can be attributed to the large hold Donald Trump has on the Republican Party.
“The election process at the end of the day is really up to the voters themselves to make that determination between whether they prefer a policy or what a particular party is willing to offer them. They need to think more carefully about the overall impact to the system,” Ouyang said.
Politically speaking the self-interest of some politicians to stoke the fire appeals to some of our baser instincts.
“When we have that, it creates a situation when pandering to voters becomes more important than the police system we are in,” he said.
“The further we slip away from democracy, the harder it will be to come back,” Ouyang said
Gary Mayor Jerome Prince said he has had a long time to think about what transpired Jan. 6.
“Even in less civilized times we have never seen an assault on our Capitol. I’m like most Americans feeling at least some of the responsibility belongs to the former president,” Prince said. “I condemn those who participated in those riots on our Capitol.
“I summarize that day as an attack on our democracy. I also harbor some concerns for society in general,” Prince said.
The Gary mayor said he chooses to remain optimistic despite his concerns.
“Although our political system and democracy is being challenged. As a people we will find a way to get through it together and be stronger,” he said.
Longtime Democratic pol Gerry Scheub blamed partisan politics for the current political climate and called it the most serious challenge to the constitution. The assault on the Capitol was appalling and the attack on Capitol police cannot go unpunished.
“Somebody has got to be held accountable for all those policemen, especially the ones who died. The elected officials in Washington are taking no responsibility for what happened,” Scheub said. “There are 12 Congresspeople who are responsible as much as the (former) president for this breach of our constitution and they are not even worried about being held accountable. They have to be held accountable.”
He said legislators will continue to remain divided along party lines ruining the greatest nation in the world.
“These people in Washington should all resign,” Scheub said. I really fear for our country, I really truly do. I worry about it everyday.”
He said it is time to get rid of the two-party system and the labels of Republic or Democrat, conservative or liberal. He called for new leadership in both parties.
“They are ruining this country. They are ruining the constitution,” Scheub said.
Carrie Napoleon is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
