October 12, 2022
This is an open letter to media outlets, US Senators and Representatives, and military veterans.
I continue to be astounded by the deafening silence coming from all of you regarding treatment of those arrested for the events at our capital on Jan 6, 2021. At the very least, they are being bullied and  intimidated, harassed beyond anything that could be considered professional, and their lives being destroyed due to loss of jobs and family members. At least 3 of the Jan6 defendants have committed suicide as a result of the DOJ and FBI’s heavy- handed tactics. But what I want to focus on in this letter is the unjust imprisonment and inhumane treatment that many of these people are being subjected to. There are approximately 30 Jan6 defendants being held in the DC jail, otherwise known as the DC Gulag. There are, I believe, approximately 20 J6’ers being held in the Northern Neck Correctional Facility in Virginia. Conditions at both of these facilities are beyond reprehensible. Besides the deplorable conditions of the physical facilities, the prisoners are being subjected to beatings and being sprayed with OC spray, which according to the DOJ in charges against some of the J6’ers, is a deadly weapon. They are suffering from malnutrition due to lack of food or often inedible food. They are being denied time outside – many have not been outside for months. They are suffering from scurvy, regular intestinal problems, loss of hair, diminishing eyesight, among other issues. Many are being denied necessary medical care. They have also been denied any visitation, any religious services, and proper hygiene, including haircuts and razors. Keep in mind that the majority of these prisoners have not been convicted of anything and have no criminal background.

To the media:
How do you call yourselves journalists when you pick and choose which stories to cover and which ones to bury? How do you ignore the obvious when American citizens are being treated like POWs in hostile territory? Why won’t you talk about the lack of due process in their cases, not to mention the blaring bias of the judges, jurors, and even their appointed public defenders? If this were happening to members of BLM or Antifa there would be non-stop news coverage. Their supporters would be burning our cities down. Oh wait, they already did that, and none of them faced any consequences to speak of. Let’s not forget the rioting that occurred during Trump’s inauguration festivities in 2017. Yes, over 200 people were arrested, but here’s a headline from NBC News dated July 6, 2018: “Government drops charges against all inauguration protesters.” As if that wasn’t enough, DC actually paid out $1.6 million to protesters to settle mass arrest lawsuits!
Yet you have hundreds of people with absolutely no prior criminal record being indefinitely detained, many of them for nearly two years now because they are conservatives and Trump supporters.

Congressional members:
I am appalled and honestly disgusted at your lack of attention and action regarding this. There are not enough votes in this world to justify ignoring your own countrymen and women being treated as political prisoners. Republicans, don’t forget, these people are, for the most part, the ones who got you elected! You may not be in the majority yet, but at the very least, you need to be bringing all of this to light every time a camera or microphone is in front of you. I truly believe that most of the people in this country are still good, and if they had any idea what is going on in their own backyard, they would rise up against this. Stop worrying about votes and money and start worrying about the estruction of our Republic! We do still have a constitution, but we may not much longer if we continue to sit back and do nothing.

Now, to all of our veterans…
I can’t count the number of times in my life I have heard “No Man Left Behind.” Well, guess what? At least half of the detainees at the DC jail and a number at the Northern Neck facility are veterans. There are other veterans scattered across the US in various jails/prisons. They have been used as political pawns to make sure no one on the right will ever again try to redress their grievances against a Democrat-led administration. One such veteran is Retired Army Green Beret, Jeffrey McKellop. He served 22 years in the Army, followed by 10 years of service in the CIA. He has been a political prisoner in the DC jail for coming up on 600 days. As of today, he has been in “The Hole” for a week for speaking the truth about conditions at the jail to some inspectors who were visiting. Here are a few lines from a letter he was able to get out, dated 10/06/2022: “Burn marks litter the walls and floors where previous inmates burn paper to light K2, meth, pot, whatever. My skin is becoming wrinkled from the lack of sunlight. I haven’t been outside in months. The paint on the walls, snot, burn marks, jizz, urine stains, peeling. Freaking inmates are up to all hrs screaming and banging on the doors, guards bang my cell door to see if I’m dead, shine a light on my face until I move. Like a xxxxx zoo! They took half of my clothing, other guards and inmates stole half of all my food upon arrival.” Now, how can any of you continue to stand by the promise of no one left behind when one of your own, one of your elite, is being treated this way on American soil? I say you have a responsibility to him as well as the other veterans to take a stand against this kind of tyranny. You have a responsibility to all of us to do everything you legally can to get these men freed.

To anyone else reading this letter: WAKE UP!!! Just because you ignore what’s going on, that doesn’t excuse you. We will all be held accountable for what we do and don’t do for the least of these. What will your answer be on that day of reckoning?

Sincerely,
Susie Burgess