Louisiana Voice

Five years ago today, a couple of thousand thugs, prodded on by Donald Trump, stormed the U.S. Capitol in an unprecedented attempt to overturn the will of the American people as reflected in the results of the 2020 presidential election. It was not, as U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Georgia) described it–appearing to look like a “normal tourist visit.” Normal tourists don’t smear human feces on the wall of the People’s House. Normal tourists don’t attack police officers with flag poles that held the American flag. And true Americans don’t look the other way at outright insurrection spurred on by an American president (Trump was still president on that day) who, when he returned to office four years later, pardoned nearly every one of the insurrectionists.

Now, one U.S. Representative from Louisiana has shown the courage to state the obvious in reflecting on that day that had Rep. Josh Hawley running like the frightened child that he was.

Rep. Troy Carter, representing Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District, has offered his thoughts on one of the darkest days in American history.

Sadly, it’s more than Reps. Clay Higgins, Julia Letlow, Mike Johnson or Steve KKK Scalise (Cleo Fields was not in Congress at the time and so did not witness the carnage firsthand) or Sens.–especially our senators–John N. Kennedy or Bill Cassidy have done. They obviously prefer to look the other way and pretend that all was dandy on Jan. 6, 2021. They are either brainwashed or the brainwashers, take your pick. Whichever you choose, they are, one and all, too cowardly to stand up for their country.

At any rate, here are Rep. Troy Carter’s thoughts about that internal attack on America and the concept of the right of American people to choose in a free and fair election:

“Five years ago today, our nation witnessed something we never believed possible in a modern American democracy. A violent mob, fueled by deliberate misinformation and incited by the words and actions of a sitting president, stormed the United States Capitol in an effort to overturn a lawful election and halt the peaceful transfer of power. This was not spontaneous outrage. It was the predictable result of months of lies that undermined confidence in our electoral system and encouraged Americans to see one another as enemies rather than fellow citizens.

“The attack left people dead, law enforcement officers injured, and the seat of our democracy desecrated. But the deeper damage was to something less visible and far more fragile: the public’s faith in democracy itself. When leaders normalize falsehoods, attack the legitimacy of elections, and excuse political violence, they weaken the very guardrails that have held this republic together for more than two centuries. History teaches us that democracies rarely collapse all at once. They erode when the rule of law is treated as optional and when power is pursued without regard for truth or consequence.

“Even now, I feel the gravity of January 6 every time I walk through the Capitol. This building is not just marble and stone. It is a symbol of our shared commitment to self-government. To attack it is to attack the idea that in America, leaders are chosen by the people and held accountable by the law.

“January 6 must remain a warning, not a footnote. Defending democracy requires more than remembrance. It demands courage from those in power, honesty from those who lead, and vigilance from all of us. We owe it to future generations to protect free and fair elections, reject political violence in all forms, and reaffirm that no individual is above the Constitution. Our democracy is only as strong as our willingness to defend it, especially when it is tested.”

To that, I would add a sincere “thank you” to Rep. Carter.