John,

The events that took place last week at the Speaker's House are not surprising at all to me. Tragic, yes, but “unexpected…” hardly.

If y’all weren’t aware, in 2016 I was attacked and beaten unconscious with brass knuckles and left for dead at the side of a creek days before my state Senate election in West Virginia. I won that race from the ICU, and I have the scars to prove it.

The right has become more and more violent, and they only intend on gaining more traction with that violent rhetoric. That is, of course, until we call it out for what it is. I don't mean with violence; I mean with our resources and actions.

Speaker Pelosi's husband is an elderly man in his 80s who was attacked violently with a hammer, and they are making jokes about it and mocking him. An elderly man attacked with a hammer in his home, is it funny to them? What kind of satanic cult has the GOP turned into? Also, coming from the same people who celebrate the mention of using the second amendment to defend your life and property. The irony is lost on them – every time.

I am angry. I am angry because the people that I served to protect our country from- the type of things we see happening in other countries - are now running this country. All at the beck and call of Donald Trump and the MAGA-Republicans.

Every single time Trump opens his mouth, or sends out a post, he deliberately puts a target on the backs of those that will not bow to him. It’s unacceptable.

We are not a country of executing our political opposers – but that is what the MAGA-GOP, along with Fox News, and OAN call on to seek revenge against those that would dare stand in the way of Trump’s twisted version of this nation.

This is not who we are, and we have no time to waste and not stand against this. Countries fall apart because of this – and we cannot allow that to happen to us. Will you take a stand with us today to make sure we're doing everything in our power to defeat this?

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Finally, make sure that you channel that anger into a vote. Make a plan to be at the polls for early voting if you can, or on election day. We don’t have the luxury of letting this sort itself out – it’s now or never, and we’ve got to use our voices.

Sappers Clear the Way!
Airborne All the Way!
Major Richard Ojeda USA (Ret.)