To the Editor:
Re “For Many of Us, Jan. 6 Never Ended,” by Aquilino Gonell (Opinion visitor essay, Jan. 6):
This arguably darkest day in American historical past was witnessed by tens of millions of individuals worldwide on tv. 9 individuals wound up useless and greater than 140 law enforcement officials have been injured defending the legislators contained in the Capitol constructing and democracy itself. Mr. Gonell, a sergeant within the Capitol Police on the time, and the remainder of the defenders of democracy are the true patriots.
Jan. 20, 2025, can be a defining day within the historical past of democracy in the US when President-elect Donald Trump takes workplace. He has stated he’ll pardon the rioters — or patriots, hostages, warriors, peaceable protesters, as he has referred to as them.
If Mr. Trump follows via on his promise to pardon these concerned, it is going to be a desecration of democracy and a travesty of the justice system. He’ll affirm his stature as an enemy of democracy inside.
John Garteiz
Munich
To the Editor:
“A minimum of I get to listen to my son name me his hero,” writes Aquilino Gonell, a former Capitol Police sergeant. Mr. Gonell, please know you and your courageous colleagues are heroes to all of us who look after and work to help democracy. I, for one, give you my profound gratitude and respect.
Ellen Steinbaum
Boston
To the Editor:
We thought the rebel 4 years in the past on Jan. 6 had failed, and Donald Trump had fled Washington in shame.
Implausibly, right here we’re 4 years later with the previous president as soon as once more about to develop into probably the most highly effective man on the planet. These insurrectionists, since discovered responsible in our courts of legislation, will possible quickly obtain presidential pardons for his or her violent actions in opposition to our nation and our democracy.
The rebel, it seems, was solely delayed, as greater than 77 million People have granted the lawless man one other shot at authoritarian rule, all for the empty promise of cheaper eggs and satiation of their hostility towards different people.
America has proven the world who we actually are.
David Pederson
Excelsior, Minn.
To the Editor:
Re “How Trump Flipped Script and Made Jan. 6 an Asset” (entrance web page, Jan. 5):
Donald Trump and the G.O.P. initially rescripted the occasions of Jan. 6, 2021, from a Trump-fomented insurgency to an indication that was infiltrated by a violent leftist antifa factor posing as Trump supporters. Regardless of the dearth of any credible proof to help this ludicrous conspiracy concept, it resonated along with his base.
Finally Mr. Trump dropped the antifa smokescreen, praising the insurgents as patriots who have been merely reacting to a stolen election. Each Home and Senate Republicans coalesced round this sanitized narrative.
Based mostly on this state of affairs, the Capitol Police have been focused by Mr. Trump and his acolytes because the victimizers, whereas these renegades who stormed the Capitol have been labeled the victims. Mr. Trump’s model of the insurgency has gone mainstream.
For the safeguarding of our fragile democracy, it’s crucial that these concerned, at no matter stage, within the rebel at our nation’s Capitol be held to account. For in searching for to compromise the legitimacy of our electoral course of, they’ve betrayed the very nation they so jingoistically suggest to make nice once more.
Robert Judkins
Hendersonville, Tenn.
To the Editor:
I’m a World Battle II veteran, and I discover this rewriting of historical past deeply troubling. My technology put their lives on the road to protect elections and the peaceable switch of energy. Some paid the final word value, together with one among my highschool buddies, an solely youngster.
If we purchase this argument, then we’re in actual hassle and don’t deserve our democracy.
Leonard Kliff
Laguna Woods, Calif.
To the Editor:
Re “After Jan. 6 Cases, Life Was Different for Those Involved” (information article, Jan. 6):
I discovered this text and these individuals very disturbing. If the rioters had examine and investigated the court docket instances that confirmed no proof that Donald Trump had received the 2020 election and listened to the Republicans in his administration who stated he misplaced, they’d not have stormed the Capitol, destroyed property and attacked law enforcement officials.
As a substitute, they acted on emotion, not details, and ruined their lives, and now many blame the legal justice system. They most well-liked to imagine a charlatan than to place within the arduous work of doing their analysis. Like Mr. Trump, they take no accountability for his or her actions.
Carol Shurman
New York
Well being Protection Woes
To the Editor:
Re “My Restaurant Was Named One of New York City’s Best. Here’s Why It Closed” (Opinion visitor essay, nytimes.com, Dec. 28):
Yannick Benjamin tells a dispiriting story about why his restaurant, Contento, needed to shut regardless of glowing opinions. He explains that impartial restaurant homeowners in the US can not afford to supply medical health insurance for his or her staff.
Certainly, Mr. Benjamin himself needed to work a separate job whereas working his restaurant to obtain well being protection. Making issues much more tough, he had large prices for his wheelchair, and a good portion of these prices weren’t reimbursed by his well being plan.
One feels for Mr. Benjamin and his devoted staff. Culinary staff in the US little doubt undergo extra from a scarcity of well being protection than many different staff, and Mr. Benjamin proposes a particular federal fund to cowl well being look after this sector — a fund that might strengthen culinary tradition by bettering employee circumstances.
However there are actually different small companies which might be in the identical boat as small impartial eating places. Slightly than sort out our well being care issues enterprise by enterprise, we want a nationwide well being plan for all People. It might profit all of us, and it will even be an awesome boon to small companies like Mr. Benjamin’s.
Ellen Oxfeld
Middlebury, Vt.
Investing in Science Training
To the Editor:
Re “Trump’s Sputnik Moment: China,” by Thomas L. Friedman (column, Dec. 22):
Mr. Friedman highlights the pressing want for the U.S. to reply to China’s ever-growing scientific and manufacturing capabilities “the way in which we did to the Soviet Union’s 1957 launch of Sputnik” — that’s, “with our personal complete scientific, revolutionary and industrial push.”
However Mr. Friedman doesn’t point out that an necessary side of the U.S. response to Sputnik was a nationwide effort, supported by the federal authorities, to enhance the curriculum and strategies for educating highschool science. Given the speedy progress in all fields of science and the disappointing efficiency of American college students in contrast with college students in peer nations, authorities help for science training needs to be central to making sure this nation’s capacity to compete with China and different technologically superior nations.
Sadly, Donald Trump’s antipathy towards science and training, and his scant understanding of science itself, don’t bode properly for this mission.
Joseph D. McInerney
Lutherville, Md.
The author is a former director of the Organic Sciences Curriculum Examine, one of many science-education teams based after Sputnik.
