On January 6th, I watched in horror at what was enfolding. I stared at the television. I was transfixed, and it was eerily like 9/11. I was numb, my eyes welled with unshed tears, I was frightened. I grew up in a family that cherished the right to vote, the right to know how government works, to stand for the flag and the Pledge, not just in school but wherever it was recited. I was part of a Model Congress at my school, and my favorite classes were civics and history. I studied political science for two years in college.

January 6th was terrifying, and I wasn’t even there to witness it first-hand.

I do remember on that day hearing the account of a police officer who was tased with his taser, whose gun was taken and was threatened with it, who begged for his life so he could go home to his daughters. He had a heart attack after being tased. He has a traumatic brain injury. I didn’t learn that day that the officer’s name was Michael Fanone. He was an undercover officer for the DC Metropolitan Police, and he self-deployed to the Capitol to help his fellow officers and Capitol Police.

In the two years that have followed, I have followed Officer Fanone as well as others (: Harry Dunn, Aquilino Gonell, and Danny Hodges) as they gave their first-hand accounts, testified in Congressional hearings, and witnessed the January 6th Select Committee try to get to the bottom of the responsible parties who organized and participated in the Insurrection.

During his first appearance before Congress, he spoke about the Congress people who were involved, who were denying the election up to and including that day of his testimony. He slammed his hand on the table and loudly exclaimed, “Disgraceful!” He is one hundred percent correct: those Republicans, and let’s not pretend it’s any other party, created the false narrative about a stolen election, and created the atmosphere that was one of the main catalysts for the Insurrection, and those Congress people still maintaining their positions as Congressional officals – all of it is disgraceful. I hear that word and his voice often throughout the last several months.

When Officer Fanone returned to duty, he was shunned by his fellow officers, people who he had previously considered friends. His family, including his mother and his children were threatened with death. He continues to receive these threats daily. He is stalked and harassed. He was left violent and profane phone messages.

In addition to his physical injuries and continued harassment, he has ongoing, severe PTSD.

His career as an undercover officer was finished as everyone knew his face, and he couldn’t continue to work with the ongoing hostility in his workplace. He was not able to get his pension (or benefits) that he worked twenty years towards.

This is bullshit.

This is profane.

This is wrong.

A fund has been set up to help him, to thank him for his sacrifice in protecting our elected officials and our democracy.

You can donate here: Michael Fanone: Help Support this Jan. 6th Hero

His book, Hold the Line can be found here.