To the editor:

R.E. Wehrwein’s Feb 7 letter raises the question of what sources are reliable regarding Jan. 6. We all saw the same event unfold in real time on every network and cable news source, and we should believe what our eyes told us. We heard what law enforcement officers and Democrats and Republicans who were there told us that day and in the following days. Later we could watch hearings that revealed more in videos and testimony. We can still see and hear that evidence today, unless by the time you read this the current administration removes it.

Donald Trump has been saying for months that the U.S. House Select Jan. 6 Committee “deleted and destroyed all of the information that they collected over two years.” He may want us to believe that for some reason, but we can still see the committee’s work at govinfo.gov or by searching for “Select January 6th Committee Final Report and Supporting Materials Collection” and choosing the GovInfo link. There we can see their 845 page report, court documents, videos, supporting materials, interviews and depositions including many from Republicans. Also, more than 1 million records were sent to the National Archives, Homeland Security, and other departments.

Rather than reject all of this evidence in favor of what is offered by a self-described anarchist who considers Alex Jones a reliable source, a frequent guest on Steve Bannon’s InfoWars, and a filmmaker for Roger Stone we should believe what we saw and heard. As Upton Sinclair said, “It is foolish to be convinced without evidence, but it is equally foolish to refuse to be convinced by real evidence.”

Patricia Missling

Springfield