Letter: Trump’s Jan. 6 pardons are hard to understand

OK, we have a new president, but what are we to make of his first day in office? How are sentient people who get their news from other than right-wing media able to comprehend who this new guy in the White House is? How in the name of all that is holy can we understand why he would pardon violent criminals convicted of beating, gassing, assaulting federal officers of the law. Some of these rioters actually beat the Capitol Police with thin blue line flag staffs.

Where’s the respect for police? How does it make sense to let these rioters who overwhelmed the police and trashed out our Capitol building off given the extreme violence of the day? The speech before the madness and the riot itself were all filmed so we have a record of the hideous attack but this guy who swore the oath of office today disregarded what we witnessed in an attempt to rewrite history? What is the nature of his game folks?

He has been above the law for a long time now but to also make these criminals convicted of insurrection above the law signals a disrespect for the oath he took this very day to obey the laws and uphold the constitution of the United States of America. Lots of shocking executive orders, but this pardon for those who viciously assaulted Capitol Police tops the incomprehensible charts.

— Robert Atkinson, Seward

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