Public Wise: Club Q Shooter’s Familial Ties to January 6th “Demonstrate Just How Insidious the Toxic Ideology that Powered January 6th is”
MEDIA CONTACT: Addie Bullock, abullock@bluestate.co
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Public Wise, an organization committed to fighting for a multiracial democracy that reflects the will and protects the rights of the people, released the following statement following the news that the Colorado Springs’ shooter’s grandfather is an elected official with ties to the January 6th insurrection:
“We stand in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community and honor the lives of those who were murdered in an act of senseless hate at Club Q. The recent revelations that the shooter is the grandson of current California State Assemblymember Randy Voepel, who compared January 6th to the Revolutionary War and spread disinformation about the 2020 election, demonstrate just how insidious the toxic ideology that powered January 6th is,” said Christina Baal-Owens, Executive Director of Public Wise. “January 6 was just one facet of a decades-long effort to undermine our democracy and overturn the will of the people, and with the help of Trump and the insurrectionists politicians who remain in office, this hate is now a part of American life. Our elected leaders weaponize dangerous rhetoric against Black, Brown, AAPI, Jewish and LGBTQIA+ communities, and are then surprised when they are disproportionately targeted with hate speech, threats and mass violence. It is a connected, all-out assault against our basic freedoms in an effort to build a society ruled by the white and wealthy few. We don’t need the thoughts and prayers of insurrectionists like Lauren Boebert. We need to keep the individuals who paid for, promoted and participated in January 6th out of public office and work to build an equitable, just system that reflects the real diversity of this country.”
About Public Wise
Persistent and unyielding in our commitment to a just multiracial democracy, Public Wise fights to secure a government that reflects the will and protects the rights of the people. We accomplish this through education, research, organizing, funding, and partnerships that support more voting and more equitable representation.