Letters to the Editor: Jan. 6 is now considered ‘legitimate political discourse?’

What next?

The Republican Party has defined Jan. 6, 2021, as “legitimate political discourse”. Really? I wonder if this is to become our new normal in our political lives. When we don’t agree with election outcomes, is it now acceptable to go to Washington to attack police, injuring and killing some? At least seven people died because of the events that day; many were injured. So, it is now normal to breach the Capitol, and spread feces on its walls and urinate in its corridors? Smash windows? Steal property?

Where do we go from here? Nineteen states have enacted laws that subvert access to the polls and who counts the votes. Our greatest legacy from our Founding Fathers is to have a voice in who governs our country. I wonder why the Republican Party feels so threatened that it would endorse an Insurrection.

Laws are being made to restrict how a teacher can teach our own history, and make no mistake: We are the greatest nation, but America, from its inception, has a very sordid history. Students must learn, and teachers must teach them the truth about the American story.

We are not responsible for the history that occurred before we existed. But we are responsible for the society we live in.

Diana Nave, Lexington

Afraid for U.S.

It was a very scary and troubling moment when I recently read that some members of the GOP called Jan. 6 “legitimate political discourse”. How can they think any American who witnessed the desecration will forget what they saw and just agree with them. I also was deeply disturbed by the censure of U.S. Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for their Jan. 6 committee work. I was glad to hear Sen. Mitt Romney speak out against the censure and former Vice President Mike Pence finally speak the truth about his inability to stop the election.

I know that GOP members know that if they speak out and disagree with Donald Trump they will be destroyed by him as many people have. I know it is hard to stand up when they can lose their seats. Now, however, it is not just Trump who will lash out at them; it is their colleagues too. That is frightening for our democracy.

I’ll bet Trump is watching how everything is panning out since he left office with glee, wondering what else he can manipulate people into doing, even if they do not want to, just because he can.

Rita Egan, Lexington

Honest talk

What if President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke plainly when negotiating?

They need to stop referring to these young lives as “troops”!

The script for the negotiations should be as follows:

President Putin: We will have our young men at the border to kill your young men.

President Biden: We will send our young men to kill your young men.

For what?

James D. Fay, Bronston