The philosopher Plato recounted a story that purports to tell of how writing became a human endeavor. He described a bird god named Theuth who visited Thamus, King of Egypt. Theuth offered to give the king’s people the gift of the written word. “It will make them wiser,” he insisted. Thamus, though, thought differently and responded, “If men learn this, it will implant forgetfulness in their souls; they will cease to exercise memory because they rely on that which is written …” So, one year after events that rocked the U.S. Capitol, Americans face a choice: Will they remember the reality of Jan. 6, 2021, or a carefully crafted narrative of it?
Nancy Pelosi (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Democrats in the House have been working at a fever pitch all year to assemble a narrative of the events that occurred that fateful day to assure their place in history as defenders of the Republic. They’ve assembled a partisan committee to that very end, used emotion from tearful House members, and even gone so far as to hold a couple of VIPs in contempt for not dancing to their tune.
Added to this will be a series of events to commemorate the anniversary of what happened exactly 12 months ago on Capitol Hill. Announcing the schedule for the day, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said that as well as testimonies and statements, historians would be on hand to “establish and preserve the narrative of January 6th.”
Pelosi Under Fire
It would certainly suit Pelosi’s party if the American population would only parrot the official narrative she is assiduously working to contrive. But it appears there is a big, ugly, black fly in the ointment, i.e., her own actions that day, which have thus far been held back. The Federalist points out: “Pelosi is not interested in a genuine examination of the events on Jan. 6. An honest review of the day’s timeline might reveal why.” Author Tristan Justice continues:
“As the U.S. Capitol building came under siege, House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving sought approval from Pelosi to dispatch the National Guard in an episode confirmed by the speaker’s office to The New York Times. Four days later, former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, who resigned his post in the riot’s aftermath, told the Washington Post it was far from the first time National Guard reinforcements were requested. In fact, Sund told the paper the request was made six times.”
The Federalist and others report Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL) believes hidden records will reveal “that there was a lot of communication and coordination between the speaker’s office and law enforcement officials up to and on January 6.” For the last 12 months, rarely a story of President Trump in the press has slipped by without a mention of that day. Politicians have used invective and accusation to keep the story at the top of social media trend lists. But if now is the time to establish a narrative, aren’t the American people entitled to the whole truth, not just a portion of it?
It seems the congressional Democratic Party machine is determined to replace the reality of what occurred with a version that adheres solidly to complaints offered by the January 6 Committee. It is an effort to do away with individual memory and substitute it with soundbites and rhetoric.
The findings of the committee are not yet finalized, meaning the orchestration of Pelosi’s gala event should be a preview of the ultimate condemnation that will surely be the final analysis. It will be bolstered by carefully edited clips, testimonies, tears, and evocations of terrible “threats to our democracy.” But above all else, it will ask the American public to forget what it might believe, and to replace memory with this new, carefully crafted narrative.
Perhaps the real reason for this upcoming circus of the absurd is not just to establish an official narrative, but to create a sword that can slay the possible resurgence of Donald Trump. Joe Biden is struggling mightily in his role as president, and his vice president is as absent as she is seemingly incapable. The party of Pelosi is desperately searching for new prospects to mount a serious challenge against the dreaded former president – or any other Republican contender, for that matter.
All this serves to bring us back to Plato’s poignant story. Will Americans refuse the gift of the written word – in this case, the official account of Jan. 6 as sanctioned by Pelosi and her satraps – or “will [they] cease to exercise memory because they rely on that which is written, calling things to remembrance no longer from within themselves, but by means of external marks”?
Moving forward from this one-year anniversary of Jan. 6 to the many that still lie ahead, we must ask ourselves: Will this written story lead us to wisdom or ignorance?
~ Read more from Mark Angelides.
