 |
Friend, Tomorrow evening, an important series of public hearings will begin in the House of Representatives, investigating the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and the campaign to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Led by the bipartisan House Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6 Attack on the United States Capitol, these hearings are an essential step toward accountability and real consequences for the planners and perpetrators of the Capitol assault – as well as for those who inspired and funded their violent activities and the organized campaign to steal the presidency. Since its formation in July 2021, the House Select Committee has interviewed over 900 witnesses and received tens of thousands of pages of documents – and the hearings beginning Thursday will be the public’s first chance to hear more about the investigation from the Committee itself. The SPLC has met with Committee staff and submitted written testimony documenting the involvement of extremists in the planning and preparation for the insurrection. We hope that our 50 years of expertise researching hate and antigovernment extremist groups will be an invaluable resource for lawmakers as they try to understand how a far-right movement came together to attack the Capitol, oppose free and fair elections and attempt an insurrection. The attack at the Capitol destroyed property, injured dozens of officers and left five people dead – and it was not an isolated event. The extremist ideologies, conspiracy theories and lies of a stolen election that fueled the attack were part of a concerted campaign to overturn the 2020 election and steal the presidency. The Capitol attack made clear the urgent need to fortify and strengthen our democracy if it is to endure for generations to come. In the coming weeks, the SPLC will provide commentary and analysis to help explain this complicated and far-reaching investigation, what it means for our democracy, and what you can do to help prevent future attacks on our elections and our democracy. In the meantime, here are some questions we hope these hearings will answer:
The events of Jan. 6 and the concerted efforts to overturn the election are still very much with us today. According to just-released SPLC polling, over three-quarters of those who believe the 2020 presidential election was “fraudulent, rigged and illegitimate” also at least somewhat agree with the “great replacement” conspiracy theory that liberals are intentionally replacing conservative white voters with people of color – the same conspiracy theory cited by the man who killed 10 Black people in Buffalo, New York, last month. Challenging the spread of the extremist ideas that animated the Jan. 6 insurrection will require concerted effort from our government, which is why we are so eager to watch these House Select Committee hearings unfold. But this challenge will also require concerted effort from our communities – from us. That’s why, in partnership with American University’s Polarization and Extremism Research Innovation Lab (PERIL), we are developing new approaches to countering radicalization that start from a public health perspective, instead of a national security lens. Stopping extremism in our country must be a holistic effort involving parents, caregivers, educators and more. The Jan. 6 insurrection proved that extremist leaders can mobilize large groups of Americans to use force and intimidation to attempt to impose their political will. But no one is above the law. These committee hearings are an opportunity to prove that this attack on American democracy will not succeed, and that the right of the people to choose their own leaders will prevail. All over the country, there are activists and individuals who are standing up for a multiracial democracy. We are proud to stand with them – and with you. In solidarity, The Southern Poverty Law Center
|
|||
| |
|||
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
