‘Treason.’ ‘Insurrection.’ Readers react to Trump supporters storming the Capitol.
Nice work, GOP
3 p.m., Jan. 6, 2021. On one broadcast channel was Jerry Springer’s typical trash. On another was “Fail Army”, a collection of videos featuring people doing questionable, dangerous actions to the detriment of their health. And on all the major networks except Fox, there was the love child of those two shows: images of Trump supporters storming the Capitol to protest the certification of the Electoral College vote. It would have been reminiscent of the students’ storming of the U.S. embassy in Iran... except that the reprehensible hostage takers were younger, better educated, and at least had a legitimate grievance against an interfering foreign power. They were not misguided zealots, motivated by an amalgam of baseless pronouncements and inane (insane) conspiracies peddled as facts, bigotry masquerading as patriotism, and blind idolatrous allegiance to a third-rate con man with delusions of becoming a wannabe dictator. And to all Republicans who gave their silent consent to the last four years, congratulations. It is time to reap your harvest.
Robert Pratt, Lexington
Indict them all
Watching the insurrectionists in Washington, D.C., I was once more struck that the Republican Party no longer believes in the Constitution, “law and order”, or the United States in general. Every last elected official that aided Donald J. Trump’s attempt at overthrowing the election should be arrested, expelled from Congress, and indicted for treason, along with the entire Trump cabal and every person that supports it. If they want to act like foreign combatants, treat them like foreign combatants, with all that might involve.
Wayne Adams, Lexington
Inevitable result
Let me be the one who speaks unequivocally to the side of things that I have no doubt other writers, and even this entire publication itself will soon be working toward smearing and twisting any way that it can. What we just witnessed on Jan. 6, 2021, was not anarchism. It was not “Republican” fueled destruction (I use quotes for Republicans because can we really use that term anymore? Shall we replace it with much more deserving “thug”, or any word that likens it to the just as putrid “Democrat”?). What we witnessed was a large group of people that the system failed. No, Herald-Leader, no, hypocritical snowflakes, President Donald Trump did not fail these people. Our “political system” (I use quotes because can we really use that term anymore? Shall we replace it with “mafia” or “racket”?) failed. We simply wanted answers. Rather, a moment to simply even ask questions. At all junctions, this was ignored and denied. This is the fruit that tree has grown. I shall sit on my 28 year old rump and enjoy this fruit until my dying day.
Steven Rhys Blackerby, Lexington
Apologize, Rep. Rogers
This is what I wrote to Congressman Hal Rogers, the only member of the Kentucky congressional delegation to vote against certification of the Electoral College votes:
“As a Kentuckian, I am shocked, saddened and disgusted by your decision to vote against certification of the electoral college votes.
The Trump administration had its day in court (60 or more of them in fact) and in no case were they able to demonstrate that the election was fraudulent in a court of law. This should have led you to certify the election.
Instead, you believed hearsay evidence and conspiracy theories that have been proven false. I had hoped that each of the members of the Kentucky delegation would not be fooled by conspiracy theories, and, sadly, you were.
I ask that you retract your vote and apologize to your constituents and the state of Kentucky.”
Karen Petrone, Lexington
Rogers disrespectful
I am heartsick to read that Rep. Hal Rogers voted to reject the results of the 2020 election (“Only 1 Kentucky delegation member rejected vote results after U.S. Capitol riot”, Jan. 7, Herald-Leader). As a native of Wolfe County, I was represented by Representative Rogers for many of his 40 years in office. His behavior this week shows that he does not respect democracy, the U.S. Constitution, or lawfulness. All Kentuckians should demand more from our elected officials who swore to protect our country.
Susan G. Neff, Lexington
Time for a change
I know many of my fellow Kentuckians were horrified watching the mobs of domestic terrorists committing insurrection in the U.S. Capitol.
What angers and horrifies me more is the absolute silence of two Kentucky congressional representatives: Thomas Massie and Brett Guthrie.
Neither one has denounced the violence committed on the bedrock of our democracy. Their silence equals complicity and they both should resign immediately.
They have violated their oath of office and are not fit to represent the commonwealth another day. Gentlemen: Either you stand with us or you stand with the terrorists. Take a stand!
In case Kentucky’s 5th District constituents weren’t paying attention to the Electoral College vote certification, Congressman Hal Rogers was the only Kentucky representative to object to the will of the people in Arizona. He rejected the certification of their 11 electoral college votes and the votes of 3.4 million Arizonans.
By making this misguided objection, Congressman Rogers shows he is not able to uphold the Constitution and is therefore unfit to serve office. I call on all KY-5 constituents to demand better representation in Congress. Rogers should be replaced.
Nancy Graham, Prospect
Color counts
Oh, but what if they were Black? I bet each lily white keister was carefully handcuffed and gently placed in a squad car. I bet they were first in line to be booked. As I watched this on TV, I thought the city police, the Capitol police, and the National Guard were awfully patient and careful clearing that crowd. If this crowd had black, brown, or yellow skin, this would have been a different story. What we have here, my friends, is white privilege.
Victoria Brock, Lexington
We will speak up
Silence is complicity. As Catholics, the leadership of Historic Saint Paul Parish cannot remain silent in the face of the assault upon the dignity of the human person and our democracy that was perpetrated yesterday at the Capitol. We condemn vehemently the rhetoric of President Trump which incited, for four years, assaults upon black citizens, LGBTQ+ citizens, women, immigrants, families, children at the border, Dreamers, among others. We weep at the actions of those who have enabled him, including clerics and bishops who have refused to speak out against rhetoric and policies that have assaulted the dignity of life and have now assaulted our democracy. We vow to speak up whenever rhetoric or actions seek to tear down rather than build up, demean rather than support, and devalue any life rather than respect life; we ask forgiveness for our lack of words or actions that contributed to any person thinking that the Catholic Church condoned the words or actions of our president or those whose disgraceful behavior defiled the hallowed halls of our democracy.
Very Reverend Richard Watson, pastor; Sister Clara Fehringer, pastoral associate and parish administrator; Deacon Ramon Alfaro, pastoral associate; Stan “JR” Zerkowski, diocesan LGBT ministry; Lynne Walker, office manager
Remove Trump
Following the fiasco at the Capitol, as a citizen of the United States, I am compelled to write this letter imploring Congress to act quickly and decisively to remove Donald J. Trump from the office of the presidency. It is necessary for the safety of our country and the world that he be removed. Given Mr. Trump’s performance on Jan. 6, it’s very apparent he is not mentally stable enough to continue to lead.
Representatives and senators, as persons elected to serve the people of this country, have a duty to protect those they represent. It’s time to rise above party affiliation and self interest. It’s time to step back and look at how our country has suffered under this president. We need leadership and we need it NOW!
Enough is enough. Remove Mr. Trump before he inflicts further damage upon us. It’s time to move beyond the dysfunction of Donald Trump.It’s time to restore dignity and respect to the office of the presidency and to Congress. It’s time to unite and to heal.
Janice Meyer, Lexington
Hollow words
Sen. Mitch McConnell is a tone deaf dinosaur. He stood on the floor of the Senate and spoke lofty words fully half of America no longer believes. His “deafness” played no small role in us getting here.
McConnell proclaimed, “(T)he free choice of the American people is what shapes our self-government and determines the destiny of our nation.” Half this nation believes otherwise today.
Millions listened to McConnell telling us to “trust our institutions”. However, it is they who have corrupted those institutions, not us. We played by the rules only to find it was all an illusion. So now, with our backs to the wall, Mitch and others feign shock at our combined frustration?
McConnell further proclaimed, “We’ll follow our precedence, our laws and our Constitution to the letter”. Well, pardon our half of the country for believing that ship already sailed and his sudden embrace of the Constitution as abhorrently tardy and way too convenient.
McConnell’s most egregious statement came during his closing when he said, “Criminal behavior will never dominate the United States Congress.” The ignorance of that statement requires no further comment.
Ironically, McConnell’s last statement was, “The American people deserve no less.”
Well, that’s what they got. Far less.
Mike Pflum, Martinsville
Hold them accountable
Well, the GOP warned us that if the Democrats won the election there would be chaos and violence in the streets. They left out the part, though, about it being perpetrated by their base and egged on by their leader.
Some Republican congresspersons decried the storming of the Capitol by saying that “this is not who we are”. Obviously, it is who we are. And it’s been their party which has been mostly responsible for the increased division. For Republican leaders to allow the president’s lies regarding the legitimacy of the election is what has led this to occur.
At the rally the president, after reciting his list of easily debunked electoral horror stories and reciting his litany of whines about Hillary Clinton, Bill Barr, etc., urged his crowd to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue to “try and give our (weak) Republicans pride and boldness”. after telling them that “when you catch somebody in a fraud you’re allowed to go by very different rules”.This is obvious sedition.
And those Republican senators, who along with their House co-conspirators collaborated to subvert the constitutionally mandated election process, should be censured.
This is a dark time in our nation’s politics and those responsible for the insurrection need to be held accountable.
Ray Duke, Cynthiana