With an investigation, Mr. Danielson and all of us might get answers about insurrection

To the Editor:

Commenting on Mr. Danielson’s letter published May 27, I also eagerly look forward to the facts of the issues and events that led to the insurrection at our Capitol on January 6. Unfortunately the Republicans have voted down the creation of an impartial 9/11 type commission to investigate the causes. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has said that he feels that this type of investigation might hurt Republicans in the 2022 elections. Obviously Republican legislators have no allegiance to their oath of defending the Constitution and processes but rather just to their allegiance to Trump and the Republican Party.

We need answers to many questions including:

How did Trump’s continual claims throughout 2020 that if he didn’t win the election it would only be if it were stolen and how his followers responded to those constant unsubstantiated myths? Trump to this day stills claims the election was stolen after all recounts of recounts shows no problems that would change the election.

After the election why did Trump contact some state election officials to illegally change vote counts so Biden would lose?

Why after the election did Trump change the heads of the DOJ, HSS and DOD with unqualified persons who would not be capable of handling a rebellion type situation?

How did Trump’s open criticism of VP Pence for not changing the Electoral College vote count on January 6 to make Trump win encourage those to place a gallows at the front of the Capitol and chanting “Hang Mike Pence”?

Why did it take so long after the insurrection started, while Trump was watching it on TV, that wasn’t there a quicker response?

Why was the Trump administration so horribly unprepared for the insurrection possibility? We all heard Trump and his cohorts calling for it and many Trump followers acted upon it.

There are many other questions to be asked which need to be answered which would exceed this space. As a country we need answers to be able to move on.

With current public information including Trump’s public comments and tweets it is obvious that Trump wanted this insurrection to occur to stay in power and has violated his oath to the Constitution and our democracy. If the Republicans want to dispute the obvious then we need to have a complete and impartial investigation of facts. Maybe if we have such an investigation both Mr. Danielson and I, as well as all of us, will have some answers.

Pieter W. Uptegrove

Stillwater