Never forget this ugliness

After 9/11, it was said there had been a “failure of imagination.” We failed to imagine the possibility of such depravity until it was too late. What just happened at the epicenter of our democracy was another failure of imagination. This doesn’t happen in America, we said. But it just did.

After four years of Trumpism and weeks of incitement since the election, we still did not imagine such evil could reside in the White House or in so many Americans. America voted in record numbers to reject Donald Trump. But we could not imagine that millions of Americans and craven Republican politicos would deny the result. Or that thousands would follow Trump’s invitation and physically attack the heart of our constitutional republic.

Never forget what happened on this ugly day when right-wing domestic terrorists trashed all that America truly represents.

Kevin Sullivan, West Hartford

Trump supporters, incited by the president, should prove that he is unfit for office.

The real victims of political garbage from the president and his GOP followers are all Americans. I ask the president and his GOP followers: Hasn’t America suffered enough from COVID-19? Hasn’t America suffered enough from the loss of loved ones from the virus? Hasn’t America suffered enough from the loss of jobs and businesses? Last question: Have we not had enough of the political nonsense that our president keeps polluting our country with?

What the president has done to our country is unforgivable. The attempt to destroy our democracy is something every American should find appalling.

Dennis Golas, South Hadley, Mass.

‘We are the swamp’

Lives Matter protestors were tear gassed and beaten, kidnapped from the streets by masked militia in minivans. But white people storming the Capitol, destroying federal property, injuring law enforcement officers, threatening elected officials? They have their picture taken. They get escorted off the grounds. They go home without an issue.

We are not the moral high ground. We are the swamp. All Donald Trump did was show us how truly damaged we are as a nation. These people existed before Trump ran for office. They just needed someone like him to tell them they were right to hate.

John Tejada, Vernon

Pin blame on Trump

President Donald Trump, at a rally on the Ellipse, told a crowd of his base, over and over, that the election was stolen from him. I hope he is in deep mourning for the woman whose death was a result of him inspiring those people to attack our Capitol.

Zoe Leibowitz, Storrs