The events of January 6th were shocking and those who were involved in the riot, destruction of property and breaching of the Capitol should be punished. More than 400 people have been arrested and charged regarding the events of that day and their cases are working through the courts. People I respect, call this an insurrection and I call it a riot, but we can still discuss it. A relative of mine called me that day and told me I had “blood on my hands” because of my work and being a conservative. It was a emotional day. However, we should not govern by emotion.
In the 1950s, the House of Representatives governed with emotion and created the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC). They were hunting for Communists in the government and in the process, ruined the careers and livelihoods of innocent people. We don’t want a repeat of that, and the current House leadership looks a lot more like that 1950s group of people than they should be comfortable with.
Many say that because we had the Warren Commission to investigate the death of President Kennedy and the 9/11 Commission to find out what happened on that terrible day, we should have a January 6th Commission. I would ask the question, “Do you feel differently because of the findings of either of those commissions?” The difference between the Warren Commission, the 9/11 Commission and the proposed January 6th Commission is that in the Warren and 9/11 Commmissions, the perpetrators were dead and there would be no trials to determine guilt or innocence of the direct perpetrators. In the January 6th riot investigations there are more than 400 people that have been arrested and their legal process is going on right now. A parallel congressional investigation could taint the trials and keep justice from being served.
Either we trust our judiciary and law enforcement, or we do not. Also, there are several investigations by the Capitol Police and others already going on. Let’s not “Russia Collusion” this event and turn it into a circus. Bring the perpetrators to justice, give them fair trials and then after, if there are more questions, have a January 6th Commission. Since there are so many firsthand witnesses and alleged perpetrators in custody, we will get the full picture. You just have to be patient.
