Letters to the Editor | Jan. 7, 2025

Jan. 6 marked the four-year anniversary of one of the worst days in the history of our great democracy. The insurrection was an attack on America, not a “peaceful gathering,” as the president-elect has called it. He made a campaign promise to pardon those who had been convicted of their crimes on that day. He and others have called them victims, hostages, patriots. On Friday, the president-elect, a convicted felon, will be sentenced for his crimes. Another low point in America’s history will occur on Jan. 20 when this same man — again, a convicted felon — will be sworn in as president of the United States. God bless America. We will need it.

Paul Geibler, Media

The Inquirer deserves to be commended for reminding its readers on Monday’s front page that Jan. 6, 2021, was neither a peaceful gathering of law-abiding citizens nor a figment of our collective imaginations. It was an attempt to overthrow the duly elected government of the United States, directly encouraged by a president who had been defeated in his reelection effort. We are not well served by attempts to erase that history or make it seem that it was a patriotic act by American heroes.

Laslo Boyd, Philadelphia

Granting pardons to Jan. 6, 2021, insurrectionists, who were encouraged in their actions by the false narrative of a stolen election spread by a defeated president, is a grave mistake. Those who actively took part in the violent events that day did not engage in legitimate political discourse, as some would claim. Nor do their actions reflect true American patriotism. By granting pardons to those convicted — most of whom have shown no remorse or taken responsibility for their actions — we send a dangerous message to all Americans: that political violence is acceptable. This message becomes even more alarming when the pardoner had expected personal gain from the violence.

One of the leading causes of the collapse of the Roman Republic into authoritarian rule was the acceptance of violence (including assassinations) as a legitimate means to achieve political objectives. Will the American experiment succumb to a similar trajectory? There are those who may argue that granting these pardons will promote national healing. However, it will only embolden people to contemplate future violent acts, knowing they have a benefactor in power who will grant them pardons. Have we reached a point where such violence is now condoned?

William L. Hutt Jr., Brookhaven

On the anniversary of Jan. 6, 2021, I am reminded of how our federal institutions, namely the U.S. Department of Justice under Merrick Garland, Congress, and the U.S. Supreme Court, have failed the American people. By purposely failing to stop an insurrectionist president, our democratic institutions are compromised to this day. Donald Trump, having exhausted legal means to stay in power after the 2020 election, sent a potentially violent mob to the U.S. Capitol with the intention of stopping the certification of the election by violent means, if necessary. He has not suffered one day of consequence for this action and was once again permitted to run for president. What this tells me is that the law doesn’t apply to everyone, and if you have enough money, you can weaken our democratic system of government at your will and by violent means. Congress has work to do to see this is never repeated. Contact your legislators and tell them to get started. They work for us.

J. Pelc, Newtown Square

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