Did you have a chance to see any of the first Congressional hearing, held by the House January 6 Select Committee?

The committee heard gripping and emotional accounts from four officers -- DC Metropolitan Police Officers Daniel Hodges and Michael Fanone and Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn and Sgt. Aquilino Gonell. The witnesses each spoke of the trauma and injury of the insurrection having long-lasting consequences that they are still struggling to deal with now. They spoke of how painful it has been to see attempts to whitewash the insurrection, including by members of Congress, and called for a rigorous investigation to get to the bottom of what happened to ensure it is never repeated.

“The physical violence we experienced was horrific and devastating," Gonell told the committee. "My fellow officers and I were punched, kicked, shoved, sprayed with chemical irritants and even blinded with eye-damaging lasers, by a violent mob.” The officers were tortured while being called traitors and the n-word.

Capitol Policeman, Dunn said he was in the Speaker's lobby outside the House chamber when one of the insurrectionists said that "Trump invited us here!" and that Donald Trump was still the president.

"Nobody voted for Joe Biden," Dunn said the man told him. Dunn said he responded that he had voted for President Biden, asking, "Does my vote not count?"

He told the panel a woman in a pink MAGA shirt then yelled, "You hear that guys? This n***** voted for Joe Biden." Dunn said that the crowd of around 20 people joined in screaming, "Boo, f****** n*****!" Dunn continued, "No one had ever, ever called me a n***** while wearing the uniform of a Capitol Police officer."

Officer Fanone, who was beaten and tortured to an inch of his life, decried those in Congress who are "downplaying or outright denying what happened" that day, saying, "I feel like I went to hell and back to protect them."

"The indifference shown to my colleagues is disgraceful!" Fanone shouted as he pounded the witness table with his fist.

Hodges repeatedly called the members of the mob attack on the Capitol "terrorists" and later, when pressed on why he used that term, cited the section of U.S. Code defining domestic terrorism.

He said that to his "perpetual confusion, I saw the 'thin blue line' flag, the symbol of support for law enforcement, more than once being carried by the terrorists as they ignored our commands and continued to assault us."

Testimony could lead to subpoenas for witnesses and documents from the former President, his aides and Republican members of Congress.

January 6 Select Committee To Meet On Next Steps

As these hearings continue, our voices need to be heard loud and clear as to accountability. We can not risk that these hearings end as only a record for the Congressional archives. Trump must be held accountable for his behavior.

We need signatures until this is in the hands of the Justice Department.

Sincerely, 

Caroline