Reflections of a J6er: Embracing Humanity Beyond Stigma

(Op-ed:)

So many discussions around what a J6er is, why they did what they did, and not much on who they are.

Some people call us heroes, some call us insurrectionists, but the truth is, we are human beings first and foremost.

Human beings are obviously capable of heroic things, but we eventually aren’t always so heroic, and that’s okay and that’s what makes us human.

The separation is subtle, but the perceptions are creating an identity crisis. Who am I is something I thought about every day in prison because I knew if I didn’t figure that out I would continue to be pulled into situations all across the board that aren’t necessarily good for me.

Who are you?

This is a question I pose to all J6ers, and all of you in general.

At the end of the day, we are just human beings and cannot be defined by one single event or moment; that approach dehumanizes us and continues to divide us. Stigma is a real problem in our society and perpetuates a lot of hate, and that’s not what StopHate is about. We want to go after these subtleties so we can deconstruct them, one idea at a time.

It would be more helpful to say, "What you did was very heroic" (not necessarily regarding J6 but maybe applicable to some) but not necessarily saying what you did made you a hero forever.

What you put after "I Am," you need to be careful with in whatever you are doing, otherwise, you can slip into an identity crisis.

I am a human being, and that makes me capable of an incredible amount of things we all don’t even fully understand yet.

Let’s all continue to hope for a better future, and one where one moment doesn’t define a human being.

The Patriotic Poet