January 6th Basics

Two Friends, One Compass

After graduating college in 1989, a good friend and I jumped into a car we called “Betsy” and headed west. We wanted freedom, open roads, and the kind of adventure you don’t find in a classroom. Eventually, we reached the Rocky Mountains, set up camp in a remote spot, and slept under the stars.

The next day, we set off on a hike with just a water bottle, a compass, and a map that we barely consulted. A few hours later, we were lost (and there were no cell phones or GPS back then!). Trying to appear confident, I suggested we go in a direction that “felt right.” But my friend checked the compass, looked at the map, and said, “Camp’s northeast. You’re pointing us southwest.” I insisted on my route a bit longer to save face, but eventually gave in. You can’t argue with a compass.

Thirty-five years later, we’re still friends—and still arguing. Not about geography, but about Donald Trump and January 6th. He sees that day as chaos, not conspiracy—just a “mob gone awry”. I was stunned. How could anyone defend what Trump did that day? The gap between us felt wide, and I wasn’t sure how to bridge it.

So, I made a simple study guide with key facts about January 6th (see link below). It’s short, quick to review, and helps you get your bearings—like a compass. It doesn’t tell you what to think. It just points to what happened. My hope is that if we start with shared facts, we can better understand where our conclusions diverge.

Trump is president again, and I sincerely hope he can improve the country. But I’ll never forget that he swore to defend the Constitution—then broke that oath when it no longer served him. Both can be true: we can respect the office while staying clear-eyed about the man. Ignoring what happened and giving Trump a pass isn’t learning from history—it’s setting ourselves up to repeat it