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Time for Boebert to denounce Capitol invaders

Editor’s note: The following letter was written to Rep. Lauren Boebert, who represents the 3rd Congressional District, which includes Pitkin County.

In your first speech to Congress on Jan. 6, you used the words “some of my constituents are outside this building right now.” Perhaps at the time you made this speech, you were not fully aware of the actions of those that were outside the capital building at that moment. When questioned about this comment later, you explained that your duty was to represent the constituency of your district.

On Tuesday, we heard the testimony of four capitol police officers that witnessed firsthand the words and actions of those attempting to enter the building that day. The words used by members of the crowd and directed at the officers at that moment were overtly racist. Their motives and intent to cause harm also were clear. At times, members of the crowd were described as trying to recruit the white officers as sympathizers to their cause to violently overturn the results of a democratic election. We have already seen images of the violence that these insurrectionists directed toward the officers while they ensured your safety. The words used by the insurrectionists, which we hadn’t heard before, threaten long-term damage to our society as well as to our democratic institutions.



I hope you have had time to listen to the testimony of these four officers, understand that they and others that served that day acted in a heroic manner. It now appears appropriate to denounce the actions of those “constituents outside this building right now.” It’s not possible to say you support the police and at the same time support those that attacked the police at the very moment they were protecting our institutions as well as the officials, including yourself, inside that building. I ask that you retract your support for those who conducted themselves in the manner that was described by the four officers Tuesday.

Phil Overeynder




Aspen