First, let me say that I am SO impressed with the Committee for this report.
They managed in 18 months (or less) to interview, read relevant news articles and court proceedings, file and win court cases and watch many videos for their report. They had a staff of course, but that staff said that the Representatives on the committee where very involved in the process. They also held public hearings along the way and managed to get the report written, published and all the evidence to the Department of Justice before the swearing in of the new house members (which changed the party in power to the Republicans.) A Monumental feat.
The report is 692 pages long-Some of those pages were a forward to the book by Ari Melber Of MSNBC and even more of those pages held 3433 end notes. The report is well written with the general public in mind (no lawyer speak, etc) and is extremely well documented (really 3433 end notes?!) There is a long executive summary and then 8 chapters, one for each of the methods that 45 and his crew used to attempt to overturn the 2020 election.
When I told a couple of my boys that I was reading the report their reply was how depressing. I'm going to use a lot of D-words to describe my feelings about this book but depressing is not one of them. Mostly, I felt disgusted by all the deceit, by all the laws broken. Lies about election fraud that didn't exist and that they knew did not exist. Attempts to coerce people to change vote counts-most notably in Georgia but it happened in all the battle ground states and caused election workers to be threatened. Through the first 6 chapters the disgust just deepened but in Chapter 7 (aptly entitled 187 Minutes of Dereliction-the length of time the insurrection attacked the Capital before 45 sent them home.) I became slightly sick at just how despicable 45 is. ( I always suspected this but now I have proof.) Then Chapter 8 was an analysis of the attack, minute by minute. Even though I watched it in real time on television there was much I did not know-it was chaotic on TV so the time line was helpful.
Why I don't find it depressing.
None of it worked.
Good people stood up and held out against serious pressure to uphold the law and the Constitution. I am grateful to each and every one of them.
If history is your thing or you just want to know more about the events leading up to and on January 6 you should read this book. Perhaps all US citizens should read it?
