ENOUGH WITH THE SMOKE & MIRRORS

Greetings. I am a voting constituent in rural west Texas. Arguing semantics while we continue to relive events of January 6 is becoming unbearable. Mitch McConnell has finally emphatically restated his view that it was a violent insurrection. Even though a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol in an effort to prevent Congress from certifying the 2020 election results, a number of Congressional Republicans won't say it was an "insurrection," which is defined as a violent attempt to take control of a government. "It was mostly a peaceful protest," Rep. Michael Cloud, a Texas Republican. "The word 'insurrection' is politically charged propaganda," said Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican. "Mitch McConnell should be ashamed of himself," said freshman Rep. Troy Nehls, a Texas Republican. "It could have probably had some less ugliness to it, but it was a demonstration," Rep. Roger Williams, a Texas Republican. "I'm not going to defend anybody that committed violence or destruction of property. But that's not an insurrection," said Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican from McConnell's home state of Kentucky. When asked what he considers to be an insurrection, Massie responded: "I don't know what it is, but this wasn't anywhere close." Even Kevin McCarthy when asked if he agrees with McConnell that January 6 was a violent insurrection said “Yeah. I agree. Anyone who broke into this building, I mean, no one would disagree with that." If your party can’t agree that trying to overthrow the will of the people with violence, threatening to hang the VP, looking for members of Congress to shoot, and desecrating the center of our democracy does not constitute insurrection, I fear for the country. Just because it didn’t succeed doesn’t make it any less an attempt. Perhaps if all of the folks who are downplaying the severity of what America watched that day had actually been on the frontlines fighting the mob to protect their own lives instead of having other people do it for them, maybe the semantic wars would stop. What we watched was shameful. Disgraceful. There are no words that can legitimately or morally excuse that day. And those of you who continue to try, should be ashamed. Stand up for your country.