Congressman Schiff on the Anniversary of the January 6 Insurrection
“One year ago, insurrectionists stormed the Capitol in an attempt to overturn the results of a free and fair presidential election and stop the peaceful transfer of power. They mercilessly beat police officers. One officer would lose his life. Others took their own lives in the traumatic aftermath.
“But in the face of such horrific violence, these brave officers held the line. Thanks to their valiance and patriotism, we returned to our citadel of democracy to certify the election results that night. And our democracy moved forward, weakened but resilient.
“In the year since that dark day, the lie that gave rise to the insurrection has only metastasized, inspiring a new generation of Jim Crow laws and efforts to undermine the offices charged with the neutral administration of our elections. And, most ominously, further legitimizing political violence as an acceptable means of maintaining power against the will of the American people.
“On this solemn anniversary, we must rededicate ourselves to democracy – because the freedoms we enjoy are not an inevitable birthright bequeathed by our Founders, but a treasure to be jealously guarded. We each have a role to play in protecting those freedoms and defending our democracy. It’s time to unite behind that shared purpose. Our lives and our liberties depend upon it.”
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