Police officers, Republicans and Democrats, should feel betrayed by Trump pardons | Opinion

Police betrayed

Every police officer should think about this: You have been betrayed.

Pardons could have been given to just those awaiting trial, and the law could have still been upheld by not pardoning those already convicted by a jury of peers.

Trump betrayed the police forces of America. He chose supporting those who committed violent acts over police.

Pardons were given to those who attacked over 100 police officers, spraying chemicals, punching, kicking, beating and injuring them. One died the next day as a result of the attack.

Those police and families went through trauma. Now they are being traumatized again, not only because their attackers are free but because what they went through means nothing apparently.

How do you think they feel about these pardons?

This is such definite proof that Trump does not care about law or keeping the law or abiding by law. And he does not care about the welfare of the police.

Every police officer, Republican or Democrat, should think about this.

Each time a different president is elected, if a group like Black Lives Matter or any other group favored by the current president, goes after the police, they know they can receive a pardon even if convicted for violent crimes.

Cherry Woodbury, Meridian

Marriage equality

This focus on same-sex marriage is very disturbing to me. Why is the state wasting my hard-earned tax dollars on something that has no impact on me or my life? Leave the LGTBQ community alone. They aren’t affecting my rights, they aren’t affecting your rights, but these proposed actions are (HJM 001). I have the right to choose. Whether I am gay or straight is my business. Stop trying to control people’s lives. The government should support its community and provide as much assistance and resources as possible. Government does not have the right to dictate what I should believe or how I should live my life, especially when those actions do not impose on others’ rights.

Often religion is used as a justification to support these actions. However, the Bible states: “Judge not, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1.

Bottom line, stop playing God. Let God do the judging, not you, Idaho government, or the United States of America.

Practice patience, understanding, empathy, love and compassion. Not division, control, or superiority.

David Evetts, Eagle

Birthright citizenship

Birthright citizenship is foundational to our democracy. The 14th Amendment, Section 1 opens with the very words, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States ... are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” Trump’s Executive Order rescinding the citizenship of those born in the U.S. violates this bedrock principle of our Constitution. It is, in every way, un-American.

Idaho citizens and their representatives must stand for our Constitution and reject this blatant overreach.

Sally Roberts, Boise

Out of sight, out of mind

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Apparently, the worth of a video, such as the ones the world watched in horror on January 6, 2021, as the United States Capitol was overrun and desecrated by a vicious mob is not worth anything.

The heroic police officers who were upholding their oath of office to serve and to protect on that day, are now conveniently forgotten, as though the riot never happened and the police officers did not suffer.

Mary Feeny, Boise

Pam Hemphill

Kudos to Pamela Hemphill for doing the right thing. I commend her for refusing to accept the president’s (bogus) pardon. Her acceptance of her guilt in the events of January 6 say more about her character than those too willing to be “forgiven.” She has my support.

Karen Eldredge, Garden Valley

Stop the insanity

A potential U.S. military takeover of Greenland! Forced annexation of our long ally Canada! Renaming the Gulf of Mexico! Imperialistic takeover of the Panama Canal! This harebrained nonsense is truly alarming.

I have written our Idaho congressional delegates requesting that they address this madness and respond to share specific actions that they will pledge to take to restrain this ludicrousness. Please join me and send a message to Idaho delegates and demand some counteracting sanity.

Jon Ingalls, Coeur d’Alene

Pardon rejected

Dear Ms. Hemphill, I hope that if I’m ever in a situation similar to yours, I will do the right thing as you did. You are an inspiration to this 73-year-old retired teacher in Georgia.

Marilynne Marshall, Tifton, Georgia

Initiatives

Our elected officials are at work in the Capitol this winter serving the citizens of Idaho. I hope they all realize how important the voter initiative process is to the regular citizens in our state.

The initiative process is enshrined in our state constitution and gives regular citizens like us the right to do the hard work of putting together a ballot initiative, gathering signatures and bringing a citizen bill to voters.

Sadly, a bill has been introduced to complicate and greatly restrict the voter initiative process. It is HB 02. The bill would require statewide initiatives to pass with at least 60% of the vote, up from a simple majority. Bills pass by a simple majority in the legislature.

Why would our good legislators place higher restrictions on the people of Idaho than on themselves? Letting a minority of voters decide isn’t how democracy works.This feels like a violation of one person one vote. Ask your Idaho state legislators to vote no on HB 02.

Kayla Dodson, Boise