Talking to US Representative Luria about the January 6 Committee – Daily Press

Several readers of my column, constituents of U.S. Representative Elaine Luria, have asked me to interview Luria about the goals of the Jan. 6 select committee, of which she is a key member. Luria represents Virginia’s 2nd congressional district, which encompasses most of Hampton’s roads, including Williamsburg.

They noted that her credentials as a former naval commander, who served most of her 20-year career on warships as a nuclear-trained surface warfare officer, make her an authoritative source on what the committee intends to accomplish.

Responding to my question, Luria said, “As many have seen in our summer hearings, the purpose of the January 6 committee is to tell the American people the truth about what happened before, during and after the attack on the Capitol. Using this information, we intend to provide a full report to the American people and make recommendations to prevent another similar occurrence.

I asked Luria if she saw any historical parallels between the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys group and Hitler’s brownshirt army, the Sturmabteilung.

According to historical records, the Sturmabteilung, or “storm unit”, was once a group of specialized troops under Imperial Germany – until Hitler gathered them into his ranks to intimidate his political opponents and protect the first party. Nazi. It is said that if not for the intimidation of the brownshirts, Hitler might not have risen to power.

Alas, later on, Hitler betrayed the Brownshirts and handed over all his duties to rival SS units.

I remember growing up in democratic Czechoslovakia, next to Nazi Germany, between the two world wars. I listened attentively to the discussions of the adults at the table. I noticed they saw the brownshirts as a bunch of thugs and criminals. They hoped that the German authorities would know how to handle them.

Luria seems keenly aware of the historical parallel between the events that took place before Hitler came to power and the problems that beset our country.

“Extremism is a growing problem in our country,” she told me. “What we see today parallels historical examples of the rise of authoritarian regimes throughout history. I am deeply concerned about these trends, and it was one of the factors that motivated me to join the Homeland Security Committee and the January 6 Committee. I will continue to stand up and shine a light on domestic terrorist organizations to ensure that white supremacy, hatred and racism have no place in our society.

I wondered what prompted Luria, who is considered a very astute politician, to accept the appointment as a member of the January 6 select committee.

“When I entered the US Naval Academy at 17, I was sworn to protect and defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic,” she said. “My work within the commission of January 6 is part of the continuity of my service of protection and defense of the Constitution. For me, the decision to serve was to preserve our national institutions for future generations. What happened on January 6 does not represent the America we know and love, and I am focused on preserving our democratic institutions for future generations.

Shatz is a resident of Williamsburg. He is the author of ‘Reports from a Distant Place’, the compilation of his selected chronicles. The book is available at Bruton’s parish store and on Amazon. com