Harry Dunn’s STANDING MY GROUND Deserves Your Attention
Recent US election results have brought me to revisit Harry Dunn’s Standing My Ground. If you don’t recognize him, Dunn was one of the police officers who risked his life defending the US Capitol from a violent, armed insurrection on January 6, 2021.
Dunn dedicated his book to those who “answered the inconceivable call of duty and public service” on that day. Starting his memoir with John Lewis’s famous “good trouble, necessary trouble” quote, he dives into who he is and what he experienced while protecting US democracy on January 6th. When I worry there is little to be hopeful about in America’s future specifically, turning to books and to people’s lives like Dunn’s and John Lewis’s is exactly what I need.
Standing My Ground by Harry Dunn
Read the prologue to understand where Dunn is coming from. He explains why he feels American democracy is important to protect, even while acknowledging the ways that democracy has repeatedly failed or excluded Black Americans. He does not pretend that everything is perfect. Instead, he calls January 6th “a frightening wake-up call that our democracy, this thing we hold so precious, can be taken from us if we don’t protect it.”
In parts one and two, Dunn explains what the Capitol Police do, how he grew up and matured as a young person, and why the police force he joined is vital to ensuring that American democracy continues. Some readers might be tempted to skip his younger years as an athlete, but I suggest taking those experiences in. They help explain what it is like to be Dunn in his body and in his own words.
In parts three, four, and five, Dunn details what it took to protect American democracy on January 6th and what it required to put his life back together afterward. I am thankful there are people like Dunn testifying, speaking out, and telling the truth. We all need that more and more these days. For more and more people to speak out against racism, conspiracy theories, and misinformation as simply and flatly unacceptable.
One of the last chapters of Dunn’s book is crystal clear: “The Fight is Never Over.” As he says, “Ensuring and protecting our rights is continuous. Making this country better for all of us never ends. We fight not one day but every day.”
Dunn also reads his book on audio. Whether you read with your eyes or ears, I hope you will give Dunn’s Standing My Ground your attention and take heart from his example. Wishing you and yours an abundance of hope and courage for the new year.
