January 06, 2024

Rep. Watson Coleman Issues Statement on Third Anniversary of January 6th Attack on Democracy

Today, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman released the following statement on the 3rd anniversary of the January 6th, 2021 attack on democracy that unfolded at the U.S. Capitol:

“Three years have passed since the assault on the U.S Capitol that took the lives of five Capitol Police officers and threatened to end American democracy as we know it. Among the lives lost to the violence of that day was that of Officer Brian Sicknick, a native of New Jersey’s 12th District. My prayers are with Officer Sicknick’s family and loved ones today, as they continue to mourn him. 

“Though we have had three years to examine in excruciating detail the events of January 6th, there are still those — even within Congress, astonishingly — that deny the brutality that took place. More troubling still is that the very person who instigated the attack on the Capitol, Donald Trump, is again running for President.

“We can see with sobering clarity that the forces which sought to dismantle our democracy are still alive and well. It is a painful reminder that the freedom to self govern is not inevitable. History shows us that complacency is the greatest ally of those who would discard our democratic values, and we must work constantly to prevent democracy from devolving into dictatorship. 

“As we look ahead to 2024 we must be clear-eyed about the threat posed by the former president and the brand of extreme politics that rejects democratic principles, and recommit ourselves to the ongoing fight to preserve, protect and defend our democracy.”