With our own eyes! We witnessed the seditious attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th

Opinion letter echo published in The Standard newspaper, in Allamakee County, Iowa. (With Maine Writer emphasis!)

The Big Lie and the t-Rump cult!

To the Editor:  #FormerGuy Trumpzi’s dangerous The Big Lie - that the 2020 election was rigged, stolen and fraught with voter fraud - had deadly consequences. 

For weeks before and after the election, tRumpzi repeated the big lie. Trump supporters were enraged and followed Trump’s directives to march to the U.S. Capitol January 6th in a seditious attack to overturn the 2020 legitimate election. Their evil intentions were to break into the Capitol to stop the certification of Joe Biden as president, and threats were made to harm Vice President Mike Pence, as well as Democratic leaders and anyone who stood in their way.

With our own eyes, we saw the rioters beat Capitol Police officers. We saw the noose this mob erected. We heard them shout, “Hang Mike Pence!” With horror, we saw the mob break into the Capitol and the Trump flags hanging from the balcony. Rioters wore Trump hats and Trump t-shirts, and waved Trump flags.

Republican senators and representatives failed to debunk the big lie which led to this deadly attack on the Capitol. Now, Republicans are giving life to another big lie - the lie that Antifa and Trump imposters were the insurrectionists, the rioters, and the murderers storming the Capitol.

Recently at a senate hearing, FBI Director Christopher Wray gave sworn testimony that the attackers were violent militia groups and white supremacists. At the hearing, Republican senators again tried to blame Antifa and fake Trump supporters. Director Wray repeated his testimony that there were no fake Trump supporters and no Antifa involved in the attack on the Capitol. Wray testified that white supremacists are domestic terrorists and the major threat to the nation.

Yet, instead of condemning white supremacists, violent militias and other Trump-supporting domestic terrorists, the Republicans continue to lie and say Antifa attacked the Capitol. This is cowardly and dangerous.

Republican leaders are placing our democracy, our national security and our safety at grave risk. This lie will result in more violence, death and destruction by domestic terrorists. For the sake of our nation, it is imperative that Republicans put country before party.

Karen Pratte, in Waterville, Iowa