After being mesmerized by the thoughtful presentation by the January 6 Committee that addressed the issues leading up to and during the time of the Insurrection, I was struck by the clarity of the presentation of the facts that were revealed for the first time. For example, we learned of the fact that a Pennsylvania politician who requested a pardon from Former President Trump because of the politician’s key role in planning the overthrow of our government. He and his cohort, Mastriano, are running for public office.
The presentation told us exactly what would be covered in the weeks ahead. Those new facts informed by belief of the depth of lies that had caused our close call with an overthrow of our democracy pointed to how close we came to losing our democracy.
But what had the greatest impact on me emotionally was seeing the interviews on the screen of some of the players including the woman policeman’s description of the violence to her and others and the important moment when she looked out a realized that she was in a war zone.
Even though we have seen footage of the events of January 6, it was a year and a half away and seemed like past history until the new video of the events of that day was shown thanks to a film maker who was present. It was a raw feeling that produced raw emotions in me. I wanted action then and there for all the republicans, Fox opinions, and others who enable the Big Lie which still might damage our nation until the truth is believed. I wanted action and change from Merrick Garland. I wanted accountability. I was angry because of so many who were brave enough like Liz Cheney to fight for our freedom on the battlefield and in the halls of Congress. We need a different sort of sea change which is defined by major changes made by an ocean. We need a see change which is the way that we and others see, feel, and are moved to change things for the better in our partisan nation.
I am reminded of the quote attributed to Maya Angelou and some others that, “I have learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” The committee was brilliant in a balanced presentation of facts and feelings of the Insurrection. Unfortunately, Trump knew this as well. It wasn’t only the lies that he told, and what he did to overthrow our government, but he made a large part of the country and many in his Republican Party, not the Republican Party, to feel outrage and a lack of fairness in the 2020 election. People often forget that “it’s not fair!” was our first moral declaration as children, our first articulation of the beginning of our moral code. Being cheated out of anything produces deep feelings of rage in any human being to the point that the facts become irrelevant.
“People will never forget how you made them feel.” This happens when we see change that is needed. This truth is at the heart of our partisan divide when you sift through the facts and see deeds done. It is the power of the feeling that Trump was treated unfairly that has given the lie life. The need for fairness is a primordial emotion that has been with us since the dawn of time when groups had to figure out how to get along with one another to advance civilization. They had to play fair.
There have been many facts about the terrible deeds done at the school in Uvalde, Texas. The feelings generated from that tragedy have not been enough to move some members of Congress to have gun laws that would protect the population in general and children in schools in particular. Matthew McConaughy, actor and native of Uvalde, gave a moving address about the tragedy that included his wife holding a green sneaker which was the only way that one child could be identified, another beheaded, and most bodies unable to be reconstructed for viewing. Some suggested that a picture of those children be privately shown to Congress. That would produce feelings of what needs to be done. But it would be sacrilegious to do such a thing to use those children as a prop for motivating responsible decision making. But the people who suggested this have their hearts in the right place for they know that a picture or video is worth a thousand words. They produce feelings that transcend facts. Unfortunately, there are those who cannot or will not experience the feelings necessary to produce change.
We need a different form of sea change. We need a different understanding of the expression to see change that is transformation for the better for “a picture is worth a thousand words (or facts). A see change is badly needed. It looks like the January 6 Committee will do just that!
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