Powers of judgment

Sharon Donnelly’s letter of Tuesday said it well: “Trump may have lit the match, but the firewood was supplied by every senator and representative who failed to defend the integrity of our election against Trump’s false claims of a rigged and stolen election” — even though Republican governors and secretaries of state, state and federal judges, state and federal courts, and the attorney general of the United States found no evidence that fraud determined the election.

She should have included among the firewood Arkansas Democrat-Gazette columnists who likewise cast doubt as to the honesty and validity of our elections — and their powers of judgment!

BOB NELSON

Little Rock

Decency’s comeback

I wept Wednesday as decency was restored on the steps of our nation’s Capitol so desecrated just a fortnight ago. Hope was also restored to our nation after having been trashed during the past four years. We can now join our new president in praying that the terrible divisions in our country will go away as he attempts to restore unity. For those of us who have become estranged from friends or family, that may be the most desirable effect of all.

And I wept again as I heard the words which seemed to come from a wise old soul in the beautiful bronze body of poet Amanda Gorman. May she continue to create captivating, meaningful poetry for our future.

We should all sleep well tonight; thank you, Joe!

MARY DEE TAYLOR

Little Rock

Oof … that must sting

Just wanted to check in on the editorial staff at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, who you may remember from such hits as “Decisions, decisions,” an opinion piece written in mid-October arguing for Trump’s reelection in spite of his “personality” because he represents the “best check” on the “radical far left agenda.”

I mean, sure, you could call perpetual lying, divisive rhetoric, and narcissism “personality” if you want, but fast-forward three months and we find Trump impeached for a second time after prompting a group of radical insurrectionists — fomented by months of baseless claims and outright lies repeated ad nauseam — to undertake a violent effort to overturn a democratic election. Meanwhile, everyday Americans are forced to cope with record covid deaths and to rely on government assistance as they struggle to make ends meet.

Hard to see the newspaper’s seeming endorsement in October as anything other than an epically bad political take. Mea culpa?

CHRIS BRANDOM

Little Rock

Living sheltered lives

There are times one just has to laugh at some of the letters to the editor such as those I saw on Sunday. One writer opined about how he was amazed at people who are evidently clairvoyant claiming that the president, meaning Donald Trump, is mentally ill without obtaining a degree in psychology and to know what the man is thinking. All one needs to do is read Trump’s Twitter posts or listen to the ranting and raving at his rallies to see what the man is thinking.

Another writer says he has never seen such hate and discontent from a political party as the Democrats and finds that the Democrats have no respect for anyone or anything. I guess this writer has never seen speeches by Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, or Matthew Gaetz, R-Fla., when they have such “nice” things to say to and about their fellow members of Congress.

Amazing. I guess the news sources these writers follow would not be airing the vitriol of certain representatives of the GOP, so they remain unaware of the propaganda spouted by sycophants of their egomaniacal leader.

ROBERT CROFT Springdale