Passion and perception Nehls is no hero
Listen to one another
Regarding “Trump rioters aren’t patriots,” (A14, Jan. 7): Democrats, you need to give your Republican friends, neighbors and co-workers respect and treat their concerns seriously. Otherwise the dangerous divisions will continue. Swallow your indignation and do what your country needs! Republicans, maybe some Democrats do want to march the U.S. off toward communism, but tearing apart the Republican Party is surely not the way to prevent that. Even if you still doubt the election results, it is time to accept that the review process was followed. Donald Trump had his shot!
Now it is time for us all to get back to ending this pandemic, together. Maybe both sides do think the other side is full of dangerously deluded traitors — but there is just no useful path forward starting from there. If we can’t get beyond that, we all lose.
Joe Dellinger, Houston
Regarding “Trump is a threat who must be removed,” (A12, Jan. 8): I, like somany Americans, am anxiously awaiting the start of the new administration. These next couple of days cannot go fast enough. Having said that, I disagree with your assessment that the next thing we must do is have the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet oust the president. That’s a ridiculous effort. Instead of a meaningless symbolic ouster, what we really need is a smooth transition, an inauguration of optimism and a positive fresh start!
Chris Tripoli, Houston
Regarding “Texans react to chaos in the nation’s Capitol,” ( Jan. 6): I logged on to Twitter last Wednesday, shocked at what I was seeing. The capital of my country, my America, was being invaded by extremists. I love this country because America accepted my family when they were escaping religious persecution at the hands of extremists. Even though these extremists looked different, the turmoil felt similar to the situation my family escaped from. It pained me deeply to see how division and hatred is increasing here at home to such levels. As a Muslim, I believe the solution for our country in this defining time is coming together as brothers and sisters in humanity, praying to our creator for his mercy on our beloved home, and focusing on uplifting one another rather than tearing each other down.
Rahman Nasir, Bellaire
Regarding “Sheriff-turned-lawmaker Nehls faced off with rioters in viral photo,” (A3, Jan. 8): Rep. Troy Nehls a hero? Shame on the Houston Chronicle for publishing what was clearly a blatant PR exercise by Nehls. Fact is that Nehls and the rest of his fellow anti-certification Republican lawmakers fueled the fire that caused the riot in our Capitol. It’s the congressional enablers who are the real culprits. Donald Trump was merely the marketing genius who exploited the leadership vacuum in Congress. It’s time Nehls tells his constituents the truth — that the numerous hand counts, audits and legal challenges proved once and for all that our election was fair and accurate. Now that would be heroic!
Imtiaz Munshi, Sugar Land
The article on Rep. Troy Nehls makes him sound like a hero during Wednesday’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. In fact, Nehls was one of those responsible for spreading falsehoods about the election. In his statement as to why he objected to the electoral votes in Arizona and Pennsylvania, he says the he was sent to Congress to fight for the president. I thought our representatives were sent to Washington, D.C., to serve their district, not to stir up Trump’s crusaders by supporting his incessant lies and conspiracies.
John Kachelmeyer, Sugar Land
So Troy Nehls thinks he was elected to fight for President Donald Trump? Since the majority of Fort Bend County voted for Joe Biden — Biden won Fort Bend County with 54.6 percent of the vote — and the vast majority of voters in District 22 are in Fort Bend County, who exactly does Nehls think he is representing? He was not elected to fight for the defeated Trump. He was elected to fight for our country, our state, our fellow Americans and his constituents. He was elected to fight for our democracy and our Constitution. If Nehls thinks he was elected to fight for Trump, yet Trump will be out of office in days, is there any real reason for Nehls to continue as a congressman? Can his constituents recall him and elect someone who is there to fight for us?
Valerie Tolman, Missouri City
Real heroes
Something wonderful happened Wednesday in the U.S. Senate Chamber. A small group of young men and women, in the midst of an attack by a rioting mob, before fleeing in fear of their lives, thought to grab the three boxes that held the will of the American people and save them from virtually assured destruction at the hands of the rioting mob. These young men and women, all Senate aides, were part of Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough’s staff. We need to get their names and award each of them the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal for their heroic acts in the most momentous political emergency in this country since the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. They are national heroes and history needs to remember their names.
Carol Nash, Houston
Court jester Cruz
Regarding “Resign, Sen. Cruz. Your lies cost lives,” (A16, Jan. 10): Thank you, Houston Chronicle, for your recent editorial demanding that Sen. Ted Cruz resign from office. As a Texan living in Hawaii and a former 2016 RNC alternate delegate for Cruz, I amashamed of how Cruz went from being a morally relevant, clear-minded alternative to candidate Donald Trump, to being one of the most craven co-enablers of the outgoing president's narcissism and bad behavior. At the 2016 RNC, other Cruz social conservatives and I faced scorn and bullying from Trump delegates who felt Cruz wasn’t full-throated enough in his endorsement of Trump’s nomination. Yet, at the time, we endured it with pride because we believed Cruz would hold Trump accountable. That did not happen, and instead, Cruz became a court jester for the Trump administration. I regret having supported Cruz and am ashamed of his actions in office. One should never trade integrity for access, because being a Republican, and more importantly, a Texan, is about showing leadership by example. We do not lie, cheat, or steal or tolerate those who do, and Cruz has tolerated far too much of President Donald Trump. I lost a friend in San Antonio to COVID-19 because of Trump’s denial of the disease, and now America has lost lives in Washington, D.C., because of Cruz’s denial of the election results. Cruz must resign or be expelled from the Senate at once. A false prophet should inherit a false prophet’s reward.
Daniel P. de Gracia II, Waipahu, Hawaii