Letters to the editor: Capitol riot

Violent supporters

The Idaho Congressional delegation along with their leader, the president, (too little, too late tweets aside) must be busting with pride that their violent supporters heeded their call to violent protest. You make every dictator so proud! I asked each of my elected representatives ( Risch, Crapo, Simpson) weeks ago to condemn the violent rhetoric from Trump and none replied.

Ann Carlson, Boise

Legislators

Time for Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson to resign. I have never been more ashamed of our elected officials than today. Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson’s support of this coup attempt by Donald Trump proves they have pledged their loyalty to supporting lies, and anti-democracy in an attempt to retain power. They have shown by their actions to continue to support Trump’s attempts to overturn an election he clearly lost shows they offer nothing to the people of Idaho other than bowing down to a would-be dictator in order to not face an angry tweet. We should expect our leaders to honor their oaths, respect truth and respect the rule of law. For four years there has been constant enabling of dangerous ideology and corruption of Trump for the only basis that Trump would do the bidding of their major donors. Let it be clear, they were now put to a test of whether they support our Constitution or support a corrupt man. Whether to support democracy or support a dictatorship. They have chosen the latter, they are unworthy of holding office. It is time for them to resign.

Gabe Burgess, Boise

Trump supporters

The responsibility for what we watched Wednesday at the Capitol is borne by every Republican who voted for Trump in 2016, by every Republican who enabled him for four years, by every Senator who voted to retain him after impeachment, and especially by every Republican who failed to speak out against his lies since the election. Shame on all of you.

Walter Gammill, Boise

Resign

Reps. Fulcher and Simpson, Sens. Risch and Crapo: As I watch the events at the Capitol unfold, I am overwhelmed with visceral disgust at your support of Trump. You knew how dangerous this person was from the time he usurped control of the Republican Party. You knew that he interfered with the Mueller investigation and utilized Russian assistance to gain office. You knew that the evidence presented in the impeachment trial was irrefutable yet you hid behind an elephant (or slept). You had every opportunity to choose the right path and impeach a psychotic narcissist. You enabled the takeover of the Capitol building and the ensuing carnage by your failure to take action when required. In the event of another impeachment vote in the near future, I expect you to act like an Idahoan and vote to flush Trump down the toilet of history. In closing, I expect your resignation for the shame you have brought upon our state for your actions during Trump’s term in office.

Mark K. Peterson, Eagle

Silence

The storming of the U.S. Capitol is an insult to the United States instigated by Trump and his supporters and the culmination of inaction by Crapo, Risch, Fulcher and Simpson and their GOP colleagues’ inaction over the past four years. They have sat silently on their duffs and refused to condemn the divisiveness, lies, fawning over Putin, disrespect for our military, science, intelligence and law enforcement agencies, and judicial system that Trump promoted throughout his term. These actions and your silence have undermined the national security of the U.S. and have cost the United States tremendous prestige throughout the world. Right now we have a raging pandemic and a catastrophic hacking by Russia of our nation’s cyber-infrastructure, but Trump, with their tacit approval, ignores these problems. Their patriotism is limited to attaching the American flag pin to their lapels. But their actions are hypocritical, cowardly and traitorous. A history of these past four years that describes Mr. Trump and his enablers, such as these congressmen, will assuredly be entitled “Profiles in Cowardice and Sedition.” I have asked them several times in the past to explain their silence, but they never have. I think Idahoans deserve an explanation for their silence.

Thomas Weingartner, Boise