One Iowan's Hope from the J6 Ashes

[Publisher's Note: I've twice seen Leo Kelly speak at local events. He is from Cedar Rapids and is astoundingly upbeat and positive despite having been imprisoned for 11 months and losing many years of his life, and a lot of money, to litigation. All because he peacefully petitioned his government for redress of grievances, a right that is protected by the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment in the Bill of Rights. He's published a book about his experiences titled HOPE: From the Ashes of J6, and below we republish its introduction in conjunction with January 6th's fifth anniversary. My hope is that you give his intro a read and keep an open mind about what really happened at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.]

Introduction: Beauty from Ashes

This book is a conversation about faith, patriotism, and calling – it’s for those who feel a stirring to live with greater purpose in their nation, community, and walk with God.

The first indication that I was in serious trouble came when the second defense attorney I contacted in Washington, DC, informed me that the Constitution—the supreme law of the land in the United States – did not apply in our nation’s capital. The first attorney who told me that was just wrong, I thought. But when the second guy told me the same thing, I began to think I might be in trouble. Up until this point, I figured that even if I was guilty of some minor infractions, like trespassing, I was not in any real trouble.

But over the next couple of weeks, I spoke with more than ten attorneys from several firms, small and large, and, when I asked about constitutional defense strategies to answer for my actions on January 6, 2021, they all gave some variation of this reply: “Leo, I’d be happy to make those arguments for you, but if you choose to go that route, you will lose because the Constitution does not apply in DC.”

The revelation that the laws of the United States do not hold sway in the jurisdiction where I was being prosecuted was not only a surprise; it was a dire warning that certain zealous prosecutors and judges had the power to do anything they wanted to me.

I had traveled to Washington, DC, to support President Trump’s case for taking a deeper look at the 2020 election results. In my judgment, there was massive evidence of fraud, and I felt like I ought to do something about it. I had no idea what to do, but attending Trump’s Stop the Steal rally felt like, at least, a small step in the right direction. I figured that adding my voice to the tens of thousands of other patriots who were expected to attend might make some difference and, in any case, it was an exciting event that I wanted to see in person.

It was a cold day in Washington, but we Americans were warmed with the bond of patriotic brotherhood and with singing. We sang everything from “The Star-Spangled Banner” to “YMCA” to “Amazing Grace.” The songs, combined with vigorous flag waving, got our blood pumping, holding off the day’s chill. And the sight of those thousands of patriotic flags warmed our hearts.

President Trump arrived late and spoke well beyond the end of his scheduled time. So, when we finally got to the Capitol building after hearing his speech, the situation was already in a state of chaos. Little did we know, the Capitol had been breached nearly an hour before we arrived on the scene, when the president was still speaking. After the speech, we’d spent an hour walking down Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenues, moving from the White House toward the Capitol, in an attitude of cheerful patriotism, having no idea that pandemonium awaited us.

When I arrived and saw the situation at the Capitol, I wanted to see for myself what was happening, so I advanced toward the building. I ended up making it all the way to the floor of the Senate chamber, where I joined some other patriots in praying for our country, after which I headed back to my hotel.

That was the beginning of an arduous four-year journey which would cost me nearly a hundred thousand dollars, thirty-seven months of government supervision, and eleven months in prison. The government in Washington, DC, violated my God-given rights as a matter of routine policy; they treated me with contempt though I’d shown them nothing but respect. The media lied about me, people contacted my employer to have me fired, and a lot of my friends faded away.

The costs were high.

And there was a large part of me that wanted to vent my outrage. As someone who’d done nothing more than walk around, take a bunch of pictures, and pray, I compared my treatment to that of the left-wing protesters who’d burned cities like Kenosha, Wisconsin, during the BLM riots the preceding year. What the government did to me was not only unfair, but it was also illegal, clearly and obviously violating my constitutional rights. It was also morally wrong, the rights protected by the Constitution are endowed to us by the Creator and they are unalienable. Surely the outrage I was feeling was not misplaced. Except for one thing. I’m a God-fearing American, faithful to my Creator, Jesus.

In America, we hold these truths to be self-evident: We’re all created equal and are endowed by our Creator with the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This is the covenant that bound the states together in 1776, the Declaration of Independence, and the violation of its principles by the government in Washington, DC, is the basis on which my case for outrage and revenge rests. They ought to be ashamed of themselves and should be very afraid of the wrath of America’s people. But the Creator, the one who endowed me with my unalienable rights, went to the cross for my sins. Whatever injustices I have endured, they are not as unfair as what was done to Jesus of Nazareth. In fact, he asked his father to forgive the ones perpetrating the injustices against him while they were in the act of crucifying him.

I am faithful to Jesus, and these truths confronted me as I considered how to respond to my persecutors. I realized that not only was this a test of my faith, but also this was an issue central to the redemption of America. I chose to lay aside my personal grievances and embrace the spirit of the men who signed America’s Declaration of Independence, adding my heart’s commitment to their signing pledge: “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

The thing that brought America forth – out of the world as an independent nation – was the unification of her people, and her states, around our founding document, the Declaration of Independence. I had to see the people in the government who were weaponizing the law to persecute me not as my enemies, but rather as the lost treasures of the United States. Yes, justice must be established, but it would be better for that to happen through the repentance and restoration of wayward Americans, not through their annihilation. So, I chose to pray for those who were persecuting me, and to do good to those who were doing evil to me.

I love America and believe she is worth fighting for, including all of her citizens who conduct themselves as my enemies. The reason I’m writing this book is to encourage you to see America in the same light and to illuminate the ways you can be part of the solution for her. To that end, we need to have a quick look at our history.

Leo Kelly lives in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he owns a wireless internet business with his father and brother. He is also on the Iowa Liberty Network's board and is an apolitical activist and educator for traditional, constitutional and conservative self-governance. His self-published book HOPE: From the Ashes of Jan 6 is available at IowaLeo.com.