January 6 Anniversary a Time To Repudiate Political Violence and Act Against Threats to Democracy

For Immediate Release: January 5, 2024

WASHINGTON—The third anniversary of the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol is a reminder of the urgent need to repudiate political violence and take action against the very real threats to U.S. democracy that remain, says Mary J. Novak, Executive Director of NETWORK. 

According to Novak: 

“As people of faith , we are called to put truth at the center of our lives. The truths we bear witness to on this third anniversary of the January 6 insurrection are:  

President Biden won the 2020 election.  

Former President Trump did everything possible to manipulate the outcome of that election and, having failed through the courts, brazenly urged his supporters to disrupt the counting of the electoral votes on January 6.  

Violent protesters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop the counting of electoral votes. Those protesters were met by the Capitol Police who worked valiantly to save the lives of Members of Congress and their staffs and to facilitate the transfer of power to President Biden as required by the Constitution. 

The memory of January 6 is painful and frightening for people who cherish democracy in the U.S. Fundamental to our democracy is that nobody, even a former president, is above the law – especially with regards to the peaceful transfer of power, a sacred tradition that has preserved our system of government for over 200 years. 

Three years after this attack, we have as Speaker of the House a Christian nationalist who helped coordinate the effort to overturn the election to keep Donald Trump in power illegally. We have nearly a third of Republicans who believe falsely that federal law enforcement conspired to cause the attack. And the former president campaigns on the promise that, if elected, he will exact violent retribution on his political opponents and never relinquish power.  

This year is a test of whether we can continue to live in a free system of government in which every person, without exception, is protected under the law. Efforts to hold people accountable for their actions on January 6 and leading up to it are still woefully incomplete. As the judicial process slowly plays out, people of faith and goodwill must remain steadfast and vigilant so that, once again, the people of this country can know the truth and choose justice and a future where all people can flourish.” 

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Founded by Catholic Sisters in 1972, in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council, NETWORK is an inclusive, national, Catholic advocacy organization open to all who share our values, working to achieve equity and justice for everyone. Grounded in Gospel values and the Catholic social justice tradition, NETWORK transforms our society by shaping federal policies that achieve racial, economic, and social justice; serve the common good; and honor the dignity of all.