Dear John,

Today’s January 6 and … it’s my birthday!  

Until last year, this date was my special day — as it was for everyone else born on January 6.

After I was elected AG, it became an annual tradition for me to host a birthday party this week for my supporters. I know some of you joined the festivities.  On a couple of occasions, I even put on my singing cap and belted out a few favorite songs, including “My Favorite Things” from Sound of Music and Dolly Parton’s karaoke version of “I Will Always Love You.”  I trust you know how all of you have given my work added meaning and encouragement. Not to be too schmaltzy, but I WILL always treasure (if not love) you!  

Then, last January 6 happened, and the insurrectionists co-opted my special day. Now and forever it will be known for the horrible things that happened that day rather than the many birthdays we should be celebrating. As someone who has long been in public office — first as a federal prosecutor, then as a judge, and now as Attorney General — even though it started out well, with the election of two Democrats from Georgia to the US Senate, January 6, 2021, was otherwise as bad a day as our country has experienced during my lifetime. Like you, I watched it unfold on television — full of shock and horror,  the furthest thing from a birthday celebration.

For a while I, and some of my political friends around the country, thought about trying to give January 6 a new name — Democracy Day — as a way to fight back against what had happened. Over time we realized that would be a mistake. We have to face the attack on our government for what it was: A full-on insurrection.

So now it’s been a year and I’ve given this moment in our lives and our history a good deal of thought. As readers of my emails, you know I’m a steadfast believer in the Rule of Law. That has always been my guiding light, my touchstone. It means people in a democracy founded on that principle simply do not take the law in their own hands — the way our former president did, repeatedly, including on this day last year.

Being a believer in the Rule of Law means I swear to uphold the constitutions of Oregon and the United States.

Being a believer in the Rule of Law means I support institutions — including those in need of reform. 

Being a believer in the Rule of Law means I understand the importance of the right to vote. That’s our way to fix things and make our state and country better — but it only works if everyone entitled to vote gets to do so. Why does voting matter? Because we need to have the best caretakers (aka elected officials) possible for our environment, for equity, for our economy and for our health. Because elections matter, they simply must be fair for Democracy to survive. 

Being a fierce adherent of the Rule of Law also reminds me how lucky we are here in Oregon. Yes, there are insurrectionists among us. But cooler heads have prevailed. When a state legislator aided and abetted an attempt to invade the locked Oregon State Capitol last year, members of his party expelled him for his role in Oregon’s very own mini-Insurrection.  Criminal charges ensued — as they should have — and he was convicted of official misconduct. 

Finally, following the Rule of Law means the way to change things is through the legislative process. During this pandemic in Oregon, we’ve made remarkable progress on many fronts — from police accountability and criminal justice reform to slowing the climate crisis.  

My office, working with all sorts of constraints due to COVID, has done its part to uphold the Rule of Law here. Oregon voters have the best election system of any state in America. Our new districts are fair — and have been fully tested in court. And people on all sides of issues are behaving like adults.

Of course, we have our problems. Urban problems; rural problems; and political divisiveness that makes gaps seem more like chasms. It takes strong leaders to address these problems, and I commit to being one who doesn’t ever give up.  

These last two years have not been pretty, and January 6, 2021, was perhaps the ugliest day of all. But as I look at things, there is cause for hope. Vaccinations and sensible masking and distancing practices have reduced the harm of COVID in Oregon and continue to save lives.  Our legislature has acted, expeditiously and wisely, to help those whose livelihoods are threatened by the pandemic — and has taken important steps toward addressing racial disparities. Our health care system has been in overdrive for two years now, but still provides incredibly high quality care.  And tens of thousands of front-line workers continue to make our lives possible, day in and day out.  In short, no matter how ugly things may look, we are making progress and there is reason to be hopeful.

Nationally, that requires more adherence to the Rule of Law — not less. We need a full accounting of what happened on my birthday last year, and I expect we’ll get it. We need to bring the insurrectionists to account, and that is being done. Hundreds have been charged with obstructing Congress’ duty to certify the 2020 presidential vote count. Hundreds more have been charged with crimes like trespassing and disorderly conduct. How high these investigations and prosecutions will go beyond the January 6 rioters remains to be seen, but I am hopeful.

In short, we need to get past the destructiveness of those who want to tear down the best democracy the world has ever known. I believe in my heart that the people of this country, no matter what their political stripe, will see to it that does not happen.

Through all of this, I get to work alongside my 1,300 colleagues at the Oregon Department of Justice. I wish all of you could see them on the job, for their commitment to our state and the Rule of Law are as incredibly impressive as the skills they bring to our department. The work they do is absolutely essential to the proper functioning of our state and the protection of her people.

So while I acknowledge this as the first anniversary of Insurrection Day, I prefer to think of it as a time when we’re beginning to experience renewal. By spring the pandemic should no longer be ruling our lives. Our schools should be fully functional. Our businesses should be up and running in a healthy economy across our state. Our people should be less angry and frustrated.

Yes, I’ll have a quiet birthday celebration today, and if it weren’t for COVID I might even be throwing myself a party and inviting all of you. 

I’m resigned that I now have to share January 6 with the rest of the world — as a terrible reminder, but also an opportunity for us to recommit to a robust democracy.

I look forward to what we can accomplish together in the coming months. My birthday and New Year’s resolutions are to help make Oregon the safe, fair, equitable, and healthy state we all want.

Best wishes to you in what I hope will be a better — much better — 2022 for all Oregonians.  

Ellen