U.S. President Joe Biden said on the 5th (local time), marking the 4th anniversary of the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol insurrection, “There are ongoing relentless efforts to erase the history of that day, and attempts to describe the events of that day as merely a protest that lost control,” adding, “We must not forget.”
In an article contributed to The Washington Post (WP) on the day of the 4th anniversary of the insurrection, President Biden stated, “We must remember the saying that a nation that forgets its past is doomed to repeat it. We cannot allow what happened four years ago (the Capitol insurrection) to happen again.”
President Biden first said, “Order will be maintained on the 6th (when the official certification process of the U.S. congressional election results takes place), and secretaries, staff, and members will gather to certify the results of a free and fair presidential election and ensure a peaceful transfer of power,” adding, “This process has made America a beacon to the world for over 200 years and is a ceremony that confirms the will of the voters.”
However, he said, “But since the events we all witnessed on January 6, 2021, we have realized that we cannot take this process for granted. A violent mob attacked the Capitol, threatened the lives of elected officials, and assaulted law enforcement officers,” emphasizing, “We should be proud that democracy withstood such an attack, and we should be grateful that we will not see such a shameful attack again this year.”
President Biden also noted that attempts to downplay or even erase the Capitol insurrection are continuing, saying, “As time passes, there will be Americans who did not directly witness the January 6 riot,” and “They will learn through videos, testimonies, historical records, and the truth we pass on to our children. We must not let that truth disappear.”
He said, “Thousands of rioters climbed the walls of the Capitol, and just a few blocks away, a bomb was found near the newly inaugurated vice president, threatening lives. Some police officers even died,” adding, “Now, four years later, as I leave the presidency, I am determined to do everything I can to respect the peaceful transfer of power and restore the long-cherished traditions in America.”
President Biden continued, “But we must not forget. This is a debt we owe to those who founded this country and those who gave their lives for it,” emphasizing, “We must remember that democracy is never guaranteed, even in America.”
President Biden said, “Democracy is the source that makes everything possible; freedom, rights, liberation, and dreams exist because of democracy,” and added, “We must remember that the power to protect democracy is given to every generation of Americans.”
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