Dear Editor:
I respect military service and agree that rioting is not a commendable activity.
However … a riot and an insurrection are not comparable events.
What sets January 6, 2021 apart is the deliberate, violent attempt to halt the peaceful transfer of political power following a free and fair election. In short, an effort to derail American democracy.
Ordinary tourist visitors to the U.S. Capitol do not arrive with zip ties in their pockets, or break windows and hit police to get in.
Selective consumers of news may be unaware that the leader of the Proud Boys was just sentenced (after a jury trial) to 18 years in prison for seditious conspiracy for his role in the insurrection, or that Fox News paid $787.5 million to Dominion Voting Systems to avoid having to defend its lies about Dominion.
America is a great country that can encompass many political opinions. But every opinion has to rest on a commitment to democratic processes, rather than the pursuit of power at any cost.
Sincerely,
Sarah Gorin, Laramie
