Besides the shock from the actual insurrection on J6, I remember sharing this crazed photo with a few friend groups. At minimum, my intent was entertainment, at most, I thought we could try to process what the fuck was happening in DC while we were all in our homes in the early days of COVID. One group agreed yes, this is stupid, but no more discussion from that. The other..got no response whatsoever.

I mention that lack of response from either group because J6 marked a turning point where so many people in my life stopped wanting to engage in politics or any discussion beyond the surface, and much of that feels true to how the response to J6 was muted by many people in power and the greater public. We failed to process what J6 meant as the beginning of the end of the institutional order of the United States that has led to so much prosperity, but undermined our advancements in science, equality, business, infrastructure that help more people in favor of what we have now: a government that runs on abusing power, vindictiveness, retribution and helping only those deemed worthy by a small group of people.

5 years is a long time, and looking back the muted response from my more centrist/conservative friends to J6 where everything that’s happened since (school board meetings, book bans, kicking out the gays, anti-trans everything, trump 2, us aid cuts, abortion protections overturned, etc etc) just feels downstream from shrugging at that. Looking back, it’s clear to me the Biden administration and Congress at the time failing to indict Trump, removing his ability to run for elected office, are some of the longest lasting stains to our current moment as the authoritarian grip strengthens.

You’ll often see the word FAFO thrown around. Well, not taking that J6 moment seriously and rejecting it thoroughly with real consequences for anyone besides the insurrectionists themselves, has become the real fuck around and find out moment.