You could not watch the House hearing on the Capitol attack this morning and not see the police officers suffering from January 6th in the form of PTSD. What they are asking for in the end is very telling about their character, along with their loyalty to those they served with, help to heal.
The testimonies are powerful. The beginning of the hearing showed footage of what the officers faced and what the “terrorists” did that day. That may be hard to watch if you have PTSD. You don’t have imagine what it has been like to have those images trapped in memories everyday since that horrible day, because of the images that live in you.
Watch live coverage of the House Select Committee’s first hearing to investigate the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. The hearing will feature testimony from Officers Harry Dunn, Aquilino Gonell, Michael Fanone, and Daniel Hodges, who will recount their personal experiences defending the Capitol.
NBC News
Listen to their testimonies and then understand that anyone with PTSD needs to take a stand for these officers along with members of the House, Senate and staff. For these officers, and the others, to have gone through all of this, then hear so many members of the House and Senate deny it happened, is an assault against anyone who has suffered traumatic events that will stay with them the rest of their lives.
Listen to the members of the committee recount what it was like for them that day when they feared for their lives.
The officers detailed the horror of their experiences, their injuries and the lasting trauma as they begged the lawmakers to investigate the attack.
“I feel like I went to hell and back to protect them and the people in this room,” (Michael) Fanone testified.
Pounding his fist on the table in front of him, he said, “Too many are now telling me that hell doesn’t exist or that hell actually wasn’t that bad. The indifference shown to my colleagues is disgraceful.”
AP “This is how I’m going to die.”
Imagine hearing what caused your PTSD didn’t happen. Imagine hearing someone seeking to cover it all up at the same time you have to do your job protecting them. Imagine knowing they do not want to have what happened, and who caused it, exposed to the public because they already know the answer.
Imagine how these, and the other officers felt, hearing members of the committee retelling what they were going through, while these officers were putting their lives on the line for them. Then imagine hearing how much they appreciated what these officers did for them.
You don’t have to imagine the pain they are in, because you know it all too well. Now imagine how they would feel when they see other people standing up for them. Maybe it is time to stop imagining that, and started doing that for them?
