When the world rose on June 18 of 1972, few if any realized that the arc of history had changed overnight. During the course of the night, burglars working for the Nixon reelection campaign were arrested at the Watergate in D.C. The story has been told in books like “All the President’s Men“, by Woodward and Bernstein, in film, including one of the same name, and, of course, in the Washington Post.
There is little I can add to 50 years of discussion about Watergate and its aftermath, except perhaps one personal anecdote and an observation. In October of 1972 the dorm residents above me at the University of Georgia, who were Young Republicans, hung a banner outside their window proclaiming Nixon’s campaign slogan, “Nixon’s the One.” My roommate and I naively but presciently added a handmade addition below it, “…to blame.”
Ties to the Nixon campaign had started to come to light, but our purpose was more humor than a political statement. Still, my McGovern Shriver bumper sticker remains proudly displayed in my home office.
What I’ve reminded myself of again and again during the time since then was that it took over two years from the break-in before Nixon announced his resignation on August 8 of 1974. The arc of justice, like its wheels, can be painfully slow.
It has “only” been less than a year and a half since January 6, 2021, a moment in historical terms, but the January 6 House Committee’s hearings are documenting what most knew that day, that Donald Trump bears responsibility for the events of that day. Whether he meant the attack to occur, was reckless or, as Bill Barr mused, was “detached from reality,” can be debated, but it seems that the arcs or history and justice may in time align here as they eventually did with Watergate.
