'Path toward atonement': Dem lawmakers want to force students to commemorate Jan. 6 with day of observance

Pennsylvania Democrats want schoolchildren to observe a day commemorating the Jan. 6 riot at the United States Capitol.

Three Democratic state lawmakers — Sen. Art Haywood and Reps. Chris Rabb and Ed Neilson — are promising to introduce legislation that would force students in the Keystone State to observe "1/6 Day."

Last week, Rabb "teased" the bill, according to the Center Square, and said it puts Pennsylvanians on the "path toward atonement."

"This legislation is about embracing truth and being a country that is actively engaged in fighting systems of oppression," Rabb said. "This moment demands reconciliation with a clear-eyed and honest assessment of what it will take to get back on the path toward atonement and healing that we so desperately need."

In a memorandum to state lawmakers last month, Haywood urged them to support his forthcoming bill using language typically reserved for honoring fallen military servicemen.

This legislation seeks to honor those who sacrificed their lives on 6 January 2021 to defend the nation from violent insurrectionists at the U.S. Capitol and the Members of Congress who stood against the rioters. Nine people died as a result of injuries sustained during the battle or subsequent to it, including five police officers.

Please join me in co-sponsoring this legislation to ensure our students never forget to honor the courage and sacrifice of the fallen, as well as the bravery of the survivors who defended the nation and Constitution on January 6.

The current makeup of the Pennsylvania Legislature means any legislation to force observance of Jan. 6 will not become law.

Republicans currently have a narrow majority in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and a strong majority in the state Senate. So even if the state House passed the bill, it would likely be dead on arrival in the state Senate.

Indeed, a top Pennsylvania state senator recently objected to referring to Jan. 6 as an "insurrection" because no one involved in the riot has been charged with insurrection.