Jan. 6 can bring about change in more than one way

Looking at his Facebook page on Facebook, you might think that Carthage resident Alex Harkrider is something of a saint.

Maybe that’s true. Who am I to say? I’ve Never met Harkrider and, really, I don’t need that particular pleasure. Let him be a saint that Facebook says he is because, you know, everything you read on Facebook is the absolute truth.

Except, of course, the parts that aren’t.

Still, Harkrider has a pretty impressive history on Facebook — even if it isn’t quite all-inclusive. A Marine who served multiple tours of duty against certifiable bad guys in the Middle East, in the last six months or so he’s collected cookies and distributed them to nursing homes, collected Christmas toys for kids in need, fed people at the local Baptist church, helped clean up tornado damage from Texas to Kentucky and, yes, even rescued a cat from atop a tall building.

All that while starting a non-profit organization — Rescue the Universe — designed to help victims of disasters and such.

(As an aside, isn’t Rescue the Universe wee bit of hyperbole? Wouldn’t it be better to start on a smaller scale and work yourself up to include all of God’s creation? Say, “Rescue East Texas,” or even “Rescue Texas.” There’s plenty of work to do right there.)

A person who would do even a portion of what Harkrider has done over the last few months is a credit to a community.

 Except, of course, when they are not.

You might think that this man has seen the Light and that’s a possibility. One thing I know for sure, though, is that Harkrider has definitely seen a 13-count indictment filed by a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. for crimes he and Ryan Nichols of Longview are accused of committing on Jan. 6, 2021.

The indictment says Harkrider “did use and carry” a “tomahawk axe” as he was roaming in and around the U.S. Capitol building, while Vice President Mike Pence and then-Sen. Kamala Harris were on the premises.

You might recall that the mob that took the Capitol building that day was shouting any number of slogans, including “Hang Mike Pence!” This is not to say that those words ever came out of the mouths of Harkrider and Nichols. If they said anything at all, they were likely remarking on the historic meaning of that building.

The indictment focuses mostly on the allegation that the two East Texas men entered places they weren’t allowed to go and they knew that because they disregarded police orders to leave immediately. They also intended, the indictment says, to stop the electoral college from doing its duty of certifying the election.

That would be the election fairly won by Joseph R. Biden and the one lost by Donald J. Trump.

It is difficult to blame the pair for being confused about who won the election since, even on Jan. 6, 2021 they were being told by people who knew they were telling lies that Trump had won.

I wonder, though, if they continue to believe those lies? Have they learned anything of the truth? The most important question is: If they had it to do all over again, would they still go to Washington, D.C. on that day? Would they fall for the same lies?

Those lies mislead a great many people but let’s be honest: Good people believe lies every day and a large number of those untruths come from people who are elected into positions of authority in our government.

Elected by us, in fairly held elections.

Most of us do not take the next step of grabbing a tomahawk axe, as Harkrider is accused of doing; or pepper spray and a crowbar, as Nichols is accused of doing, and use those implements to try to take over the U.S. Capitol.

The average East Texan wouldn’t physically battle police officers and would have been repulsed by watching that happen. Had I been a part of that crowd, the mere hint of the violence would have made me immediately stop and reassess what was going on.

I suppose that makes me a snowflake.

Police officers died that day, directly linked to the actions of those who attacked the Capitol. Even if they are not guilty an any crimes whatsoever, do Harkrider and Nichols care about those deaths?

I don’t know.

For while Harkrider’s Facebook page certainly lists all the good things he has done in over the past months, it did not contain one word that I could find that indicated the least bit of remorse for how the events of the day unfolded.

That wouldn’t be an admission of guilt, but how could you be involved in such a terrible day and not feel remorse? It’s not a crime to not care about others, but it is a sign of being a decent human being.

As an optimist, I’m going out on a limb to say that both men were duped into being in Washington, D.C. that day and never would have considered it otherwise.

Both Nichols’ and Harkriders’ federal trial on the charges against them have been delayed at Nichols’ request, who says he is still going through video evidence of the day.

We can hope Harkrider will continue his Rescue the World group after the trial, even if he is found guilty of the charges and gets jail time.

It is a far better use of his time than following conspiracy theories from politicians who can’t be trusted, and real people get helped. Only time is going to tell that story, though. Maybe some good can eventually come out of the bad.

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