Hello Rep. Levin,
I too share your thoughts on the despicable acts in Washington DC and am glad you and your staff are safe.
I have a few questions in response to the message you sent to your constituents on Jan. 8:
* You claim the Constitution must be defended "every day" and I wholeheartedly agree. However, your stance and actions against the Second Amendment are opposed to this claim. I know the discussion on reducing gun violence is too much for this forum but how do you reconcile these contradictory stances?
* Although DC riots were more targeted at government itself, the ongoing riots attributed to Antifa, et. al. were much more widespread and damaging to property and life. What is your office doing to stop those acts and hold those responsible accountable?
I response would be very much appreciated.
Mr. Levin's message:
Dear Neighbor,
I wanted to reach out and address the recent attack that occurred in our nation's capital on Wednesday.
For
the first time since 1814, the United States Capitol Building was
breached by an angry mob. More than 200 years ago, it was British
troops. This time it was domestic terrorists, inspired and encouraged by
President Donald Trump.
I
started that day preparing to uphold my oath of office — an oath I took
this past Sunday at the launch of the 117th Congress to “support and
defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies,
foreign and domestic.” That is an oath I upheld later that night by
voting to certify the results of the Electoral College and declaring Joe
Biden and Kamala Harris our next president and vice president.
While
I was forced to shelter in my office for most of the day, I am thankful
for the Capitol Police officers and other law enforcement agencies who
tried to keep everyone safe. There are many questions that must be
answered for how this security breach occurred in the first place, and
there will be a full investigation.
As for the domestic terrorists who sought to overthrow our democracy, they must be prosecuted.
We
must also acknowledge how these terrorists were inspired. Despite 81
million votes for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect
Kamala Harris, multiple recounts, and more than 60 failed lawsuits
challenging the election results, many of my Republican colleagues
followed Trump’s lead and pushed outlandish conspiracy theories and
baseless claims of voter fraud without any evidence, entirely void of
reality.
Many
congressional Republicans sought to overturn the results of a free and
fair election because they didn't like the results. They didn’t realize —
or didn’t care — that their actions could result in a violent coup
attempt. That’s exactly what happened Wednesday.
The question now is a vital one: Where does our country go from here?
For
many decades, we have had passionate but peaceful political
disagreements — a shining beacon of democracy. We Americans do not
support insurrection or mob rule.
In short, we are so much better than this.
We
are now at a crossroads in our great nation’s history, a moment where
we see two divergent paths in front of us. We can continue down a path
of hyper-partisanship, divisiveness and democratic decay, or we can try
to heal our country.
We
can come together to reject the violence we saw Wednesday and recommit
to upholding the values that unite us as Americans: democracy, justice
and equality. It is paramount that we choose the right path.
Our Constitution must never be taken for granted. We must continue to support and defend it every day, as our oath demands.
After
this unbelievable attack on our Capitol and democracy, we can't afford
another day with President Trump serving in office. I am calling for
Vice President Pence and the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment or for
Congress to impeach and convict Trump immediately.
I
also want to send my condolences to the family and loved ones of the
Capitol Police officer who was killed during the attack on Wednesday, as
well as at least four others who died during the insurrection. Those
responsible must be held accountable.
