Readers sound off on Trump on MLK Day, Jan. 6 pardons and fare-beater work details

Let MLK’s words instruct america connected this presidency

Opelika, Ala.: The antheral who would beryllium king, President Trump, was inaugurated connected Martin Luther King Day. That’s a grotesque irony. The gulf betwixt the existent King and the want-to-be king proves arsenic immense arsenic the Grand Canyon.

The News printed a 300-plus-word condemnation from King’s majestic and soaring “Letter from Birmingham Jail” throbbing with pathos and passion. King explained that we can’t hold — we indispensable reason injustice, advocator for the oppressed and sow seeds that nutrient righteousness. He denounced the mendacious conception that helium and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, headquartered successful Atlanta and invited by Birmingham pastor Fred Shuttlesworth to enactment successful a nonstop enactment campaign, could beryllium considered extracurricular agitators. King wrote, “We are caught successful an inescapable web of mutuality, tied successful a azygous garment of destiny. Whatever affects 1 straight affects each indirectly.”

Trump, by contrast, bewailed the cruelty and unfair suffering of those who participated successful an insurrection. He deemed criminals who sprayed constabulary with chemic agents, attacked journalists and killed constabulary “patriots.” In a monstrous perversity, helium pardoned 1,500 insurrectionists. What a whitewash, what a lie. Furthermore, Trump said that erstwhile FBI Director Christopher Wray said that extracurricular agitators fomented the violence. The stench Trump’s pardon belches would stagger a full-grown bull elephant. He besides said America doesn’t request different countries but different countries request America. He attempted to buttress his assertion with his blasphemous regurgitation of a centuries-old falsehood: American exceptionalism.

When King and thousands of weary but triumphant marchers yet arrived successful Montgomery, King said: “No prevarication tin unrecorded forever… information crushed to world volition emergence again.” His words resound with power, enlisting a caller procreation to reason the Trumpian oligarchy, which calls bully evil and calls evil good. Marc D. Greenwood

Fascism foreshadowing

Queens Village: Did anyone instrumentality announcement of what Turner Classic Movies played aft the Trump inauguration? Movies from the 1940s dealing with Nazi and dictator themes played each day. Was it conscionable a coincidence? Or was it a stark omen of things to come? Lawrence Krasner

Relevant message

Teaneck, N.J.: Was it a coincidence that Turner Classic Movies showed “The Great Dictator” starring Charlie Chaplin connected the aforesaid time that Trump returned to the White House? A large all-time film. Would Trump bask it? Lew Azaroff

Historic hypocrisy

Yonkers: Is ICE going to inspect/raid Trump Organization properties searching for “illegal” aliens? I’d stake the workplace that galore of the unit astatine Trump properties are undocumented fixed however notoriously inexpensive the antheral astatine the apical is. Are tariffs connected goods produced successful China going to see Trump merchandise? Is the terms of a MAGA chapeau going to double? Is the Supreme Court going to basal up and archer “dear leader” that helium can’t destruct by enforcement bid the 14th Amendment oregon immoderate different proviso of the Constitution helium doesn’t like? One day, past volition constitute of the rampant hypocrisy of 45/47’s enablers, excusers and supporters, and past volition not beryllium kind. Evan Marc London

Different benignant of man

Flushing: On Monday, we saw a existent man permission office. He did not record lawsuits oregon incite an insurrection, dissimilar Donald Trump, who did not be the 2021 inauguration of Joe Biden but skulked away, saying helium won the election. He is my president and I volition enactment him, but I fearfulness for our state and democracy. Godspeed, President Trump. Please bash not destruct the country. John Weiss

Partial pardon coverage

Brooklyn: Only definite statesmanlike pardons look to airs a “threat to democracy” — President Trump’s, of course. Joe Biden pardons a slew of household members and thousands of different earnestly atrocious radical and we get hardly a peep. Do you cognize what’s a menace to democracy? News media that openly takes up with a governmental party, past skews its quality sum to unquestionably enactment that party. And for your ain sake, delight halt utilizing presumption similar “threat to democracy,” it conscionable sounds truthful silly. Jack Flynn

Thanks for that

Chicago: Trump’s archetypal bid of concern arsenic our caller person was to pardon the Jan. 6 insurrectionists, frankincense making it
official that our ideology is just crippled for the adjacent 4 years. I lone anticipation that those who voted him into bureau are satisfied. Not lone person they talented america nonbelievers with a plethora of sleepless nights, but their reckless abandonment of dependable reasoning lone reassures our country’s fiercest enemies that bequest beryllium damned, Trump is present acceptable to deal. Bob Ory

Excused chaos

Woodstock, N.Y.: So present america lefties recognize that it’s OK to interruption into the Capitol Building, smashing glass, threatening the lives of our congresspeople, beating cops with immoderate disposable dense objects, including American emblem poles, and bringing on enactment and scaffolding for Mike Pence. The GOP instrumentality and bid enactment — B.S.! Suzanne Hayes Kelly

Unforgivable

Hamden, Conn: Any idiosyncratic progressive successful immoderate carnal battle connected Capitol Police unit connected Jan. 6 should ne'er get a pardon. The criminals who punched, kicked, pepper- and bear-sprayed uniformed and recognizable officers of the Capitol Police were not patriots, bully radical oregon thing but criminals. They should beryllium held successful contempt. Chris Lyons

Unprincipled pardons

Belle Harbor: After pledging not to, an enfeebled president issues a broad pardon to his lad and preemptively pardons different members of his household and galore governmental figures for, to paraphrase, what they did oregon mightiness person done. After promising to bash so, a vindictive president pardons rioters who violently attacked instrumentality enforcement officers. Perhaps the powers granted to the president successful Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the Constitution request to beryllium revisited. Bobby Nelsen

Trans agenda

Belvidere, N.J.: Voicer Charlene Black could usage a world cheque astir thing Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama person fixed us, which is not conceived successful “God bless America,” arsenic Charlene says successful prayer. Obama laid pavement for and Biden precocious the travel of altering the Christian cloth of America done policies advancing an alternative-gender culture. As president, Biden tried to alteration Title IX of 1972 to unit transgenderism upon nine — to the detriment of the Christian community, whose members lone judge biologic antheral and pistillate categories. Biden was besides a vocal advocator for our nation’s nationalist schoolhouse systems to foster sex transitioning against the volition of Christian parents. God would not bless that benignant of America. President Trump has said helium volition halt this madness. Dan Arthur Pryor

Heaven-sent

Yonkers: According to Scripture, God sent his Son to prevention america sinning souls. Now, according to the MAGA Bible, God sent Trump to prevention america poor, suffering souls. Amen. Frank Brady

On bended knee

Whitestone: Mayor Adams — single-handedly keeping the kneepad manufacture alive! Robin Mazzia

Suspicious kick

Sea Isle City, N.J.: In the assemblage shot title game, did Ohio State truly request to footwear a tract extremity with 26 seconds to spell successful the crippled and an 8-point lead? If anyone doesn’t deliberation that players and coaches stake connected games — successful the pros besides — you are wrong. With 26 seconds near successful the crippled and you are up by 8 points, and the dispersed is 8 points, wherefore would you accidental kicking a tract extremity and having it blocked? It’s each astir the money! Jim Fusco

Player non grata

Bronx: I conjecture you tin beryllium an alcoholic and get into the Hall of Fame, but marque 1 stake and you’re a disgrace. Poor Pete Rose, 1 of the champion shot players successful history. Not successful the Hall of Fame. RIP, Pete. Ralph Canzone Sr.

Subway service

Hillsdale, N.Y.: Voicer Al D’Angelo’s caller thought to wage constabulary overtime to contented tickets to fare-evaders and usage that wealth to prosecute much transit constabulary to marque the subway safer would enactment successful Fairyland, not successful NYC. Does helium truly judge that a bulk of fare-beaters would unreserved and signifier a agelong enactment to wage fines erstwhile they garbage to wage a $2.90 subway fare? A amended thought would astir apt enactment if these fare-beaters were forced to enactment 1 week cleaning the subway strategy oregon look 1 period successful prison. This should trim a fig of fare-beaters and perchance criminals entering the strategy arsenic well. Phil Antico