SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 7, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — The Utah House Democrats released a statement Thursday, a day after the violence and destruction at the U.S. Capitol building, condemning what the group calls “Domestic terrorism and desecration of the U.S. Capitol.”
The statement appears in full below:
What happened at our Nation’s Capitol yesterday is both incredibly sad and frustrating. Our President, tasked with guiding our country, instead attempted to undermine our democracy by inciting domestic terrorists to prevent the constitutional vote counting by Congress. Their invasion of that sacred building defiled a symbol of our democracy, freedom, and bipartisanship.
Though some of these ideals have been forgotten or disregarded in recent years, it is past time to once again reembrace them as cornerstones of our representative democracy. Only by doing so can we work toward a more perfect Union, where everyone has the opportunity to achieve the American dream, regardless of the situation into which they are born or the color of their skin.
We are equally alarmed by the recent behavior in our own state by self-styled, far-right militia groups targeting community advocates, particularly in our communities of color. Threats of intimidation and harm through doxing — the posting of personal information without permission — of individuals and their families is unacceptable and must be dealt with swiftly and fairly. This is yet another symptom of a political and social environment that has no place in a peaceful nation of people who respect the opinions, beliefs, and lives of others. We implore all political leaders to immediately cease perpetuating rhetoric and discord that continues to foment this dangerous and illegal behavior.
With the strongest words and intent, we condemn the actions of our President and his enablers, and we hope he is held accountable for his actions yesterday. We also condemn the actions of our own state and local officials who have enabled the President in his cynical quest to undermine trust in the election, which ultimately led to the violence we all witnessed yesterday. It is past time to leave this President behind and move on to building back a better America.
