On January 6, 2021, the U.S. Capitol Hill suffered the "darkest day" in history. A year later, the House of Representatives chambers of the U.S. Congress were heavily guarded: five metal detectors surrounded the door to prevent any weapons from being brought inside.
Surprisingly, the probes were not designed to deter rebels, but to prevent lawmakers or other staff from trying to commit violence against each other.
A year after trump-backed populace attacked the Capitol, trust among lawmakers seems to be at an all-time low, whether it's reaching an important legislative deal or protecting congressional staff from violence, according to foreign media reports.
↑ Metal detector installed outside the House chamber.
Fear, anger, trauma... The riots of January 6 last year profoundly changed the U.S. Congress. This incident also made people gradually feel the consequences of the "collapse" of the American system, and the entire political system of the United States has been "fragmented".
The investigation into the incident has become politicized
In the wake of the riots, the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI launched one of the largest criminal investigations in U.S. history, investigating hundreds of people suspected of rioting, and as of mid-December 2021, 725 people had been indicted. As the investigation continues, more suspects are expected to be charged.
But a year after the incident, Americans are still divided over the severity of the incident, who should be blamed and how much punishment will be imposed. This highlights the wider social divide in the United States and exacerbates concerns about the state of democracy.
A recent Quinnipiac University poll found that 93 percent of Democrats and 56 percent of independents believe the riot was an attack on the U.S. government, compared with only 29 percent of Republicans. According to a Pew Research Center poll, Democrats who believe it is "important to prosecute thugs" have stabilized at 95 percent. Republican support for the prosecution fell from 79 percent in March to 57 percent in September.
Rep. Rodney Davis, a Republican who supports the Independent Investigation Commission, said Democrats used an overly broad brush to portray each Republican and sparked a fearful imagination of violence among Republican lawmakers, but Democrats ignored their own bad behavior — the investigation of protesters punished Only Republicans, not the police who used violence to quell the unrest.
↑ Protesters in the congressional riots tried to break through the barriers set up by the police.
"They made up false narratives about republican members posing a threat to the Democrats and passed a rule that required Republican members to be monitored by metal detectors or face punishment." Davis said at a House Executive Committee hearing on Dec. 17 last year.
Davis released a memo to Republican colleagues on Jan. 3 titled "After a Year, Little Has Changed." In it, he said the U.S. Capitol was no longer safe a year after the deadly riots in Congress, but House Democrats failed to implement proposed security reforms and instead focused on conducting a "partisan" investigation into the origins of the riots.
"I want everyone in your family to die"
Fear from the congressional unrest reportedly still hangs over the Capitol, with tensions in the House of Representatives more pronounced. Some members of Congress and other staff have tried to cope with post-traumatic stress through psychological counseling. In interviews with more than 20 lawmakers, lawmakers reportedly said Congress was still in a state of tension and many feared that there could be more violence in the future.
According to U.S. Capitol Police Chief Thomas Mag, the threat of violence faced by members of Congress is at an all-time high. In 2021, threats against members of Congress increased by 107 percent, nearly 9,600 threat incidents were reported, and they are on an upward trend. According to previous statistics, in 2017, there were fewer than 4,000 threats against members of Congress, and in 2020, this number tripled to more than 8,600.
"I want you to die, I want everyone in your family to die." Representative Fred Upton, a Republican representative in Michigan, said he had recently received such a message. According to him, death threats have become a part of their lives, not only politicians, but also any staff involved in the functioning of the electoral system. After 2020, polls show that a third of Congressional workers say their jobs make them feel insecure.
Some Democrats argue that the congressional riots have sown the seeds of a potentially more serious conflict. When it comes to their anger at riots, Democrats typically fall into two categories: those who are concerned about riots and fear that similar violence could happen again; and those who argue that riots have not diminished Republican support for Trump. Democrats are increasingly concerned that a new group of Republicans will focus on provoking and publicizing Trump, hindering the rollout of some constructive bills based on their positions, rather than promoting the legislative agenda.
The National Guard will assist the overwhelmed police
Fears that tensions could reignite violence, lawmakers sought to make the necessary improvements to the security of the Capitol. However, a year after the incident, more than 130 Capitol police officers left the department. Maag said the covid-19 pandemic also caused the national federal law enforcement training academy to close for nearly 10 months in 2020, hampering the recruitment of new police officers.
"With the loss of veteran officers and the inability to offer any courses in 2020, we are now probably 400 police officers short. Staffing remains a critical issue. Mag said. According to gus papattanasio, the union's president, police officers face "6-7 days a week and double shifts" due to understaffing and increased demand for security tasks.
↑ Police stand guard in front of the Capitol Building, understaffed to fill a congressional security hole.
As a result, the U.S. Congressional Police Department has had to lend resources to deal with the growing threats facing Congress in recent years. On December 22 last year, Biden signed the Capitol Police Emergency Assistance Act, which allows the capitol police chief to seek support directly from the Washington, D.C., National Guard and other local law enforcement agencies without the prior approval of the Police Oversight Committee.
In addition, Congressman Davis noted that ensuring congressional security needs to start in multiple places. Capitol police have not yet fully implemented intelligence priorities, arguing that more effective analysis of incoming threatening information can effectively reduce violence. In addition, the infrastructure of the Capitol needs to be upgraded.
"If the Democratic leadership can do whatever it takes to prevent similar incidents from happening again, they will focus their time and energy on ensuring that these known flaws are addressed... Instead, their full attention is focused on solving political problems. So far, they have not been able to answer one of the most important questions: Why was the Capitol so caught off guard by the riots? Davis said.
Will anger lead to "civil war"?
According to USA Today and the University of Suffolk polls, the percentage of people who think it is unlikely and will happen is almost the same as whether a similar incident of a violent attack on the Capitol will happen again: 48 percent say it is unlikely; 46 percent think it will happen again. According to foreign media, this data shows that after a year, the people are no longer confident that the threat to American democracy can be effectively solved.
"Something like this will happen again, and although it shouldn't, I'll see it come again." Judith Cook, a 62-year-old retired school bus driver in Greenville, South Carolina, said.
The poll data also shows that nearly 71 percent of Americans believe U.S. democracy is weaker than it was four years ago (19 percent disagree). And that's almost in line with a poll a week after the violent protests at the Capitol, when 70 percent held that view (17 percent disagreed). Not only that, but people's trust in the government has also plummeted, and the data shows that the popular support for Congress only hovers around 20%.
Canadian columnist Stephen Mull said the United States is once again headed for a "civil war" because its political problems are not only structural, long-standing, but also accelerating. The U.S. political system has been overwhelmed by anger that the government has encountered growing resistance to its basic functions.
"The question is not who is in power, but the power structure." In this state of affairs, Mal said, party politics has become the most important distraction. Political parties and party members no longer matter, and in any case, mutual recrimination between the two sides has become the most important thing. "If more moderate Republicans are in office, if bipartisan cooperation can be restored to what it was — such expectations are reckless and irresponsible."
In Marr's view, it was only after the congressional riots that people gradually felt the consequences of the "collapse" of the American system. January 6 is not a wake-up call, it is more of a slogan demanding change. When the entire political system is "fragmented," the choice left for both the government and the people is clear: to reinvent or decline. Moreover, the most important point is that they want to get rid of the illusion that everything will get better on its own, and America will naturally enter a better era.
Red Star News reporter Wang Yalin intern reporter Ding Wen
Edited by Zhang Xun
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