To the Editor:
We should be celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the Watergate break in as a close call for our democracy, but one which we finally discovered, acknowledged and held the perpetrators, from the president to the mad-as-a-hatter G. Gordon Liddy, accountable. Unfortunately, we have a far more threatening recent assault on our country to confront.
The bipartisan House Select Committee on the January 6, 2021, event at the Capitol is holding televised meetings to report on the on the events of that day, in a way that makes clear what happened without endless hours of testimony, for which we can be grateful. The only reason that only two constitutionally-honest Republicans serve on the Committee is that Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) had a hissy fit when Pelosi exercised her power to reject his Trumpian apologists, and he refused to appoint alternate Repo House members. Take that, Pelosi! Uh oh.
It is now clearthat the events of J6 were not spontaneous. They were planned by Trump minions from the Willard Hotel in D.C. “Stop the Steal” rallying cry was a PR stuntsince Trump himself, and the rational minds around him (including Ivanka), knew that Trump had lost. But here was a chance to inflame his base and it was a sure way to beat the bushes for donations to fight the “steal.” No one has identified one cent that was used for that purpose. But hey, ka-ching!
Former AG Bill Barr finally admitted, after being placed under oath, that he knew the “stop the steal” cry was unfounded, and that Trump’s attempts tooverthrow the election were unconstitutional. Many Republicanstold colleagues that Trump was responsible for the insurrection and needed to be held accountable, only to reverse themselves when The Don yanked their chains.
I hope you have a chance to watch this exercise in democracy. Our government was very nearly overthrown from within and we must be prepared for another attempt.
Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore

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To the Editor:
Last week my former churchgoing friend offered yet another plaintive critique of “Biden and his administration are gloating that he has been able to bring about ‘historic’ economic gains…” (Sigh.)
Fortunately, I know this author to be a caring and intelligent citizen. Let me ask one question, since I respect and also recognize her feelings of frustration and powerlessness as if they were my own: Are there any compassionate Americans who are gloating over anything political in America tonight …or for the last decade? The pandemic, the invasion of Ukraine, hyperpartisanship, wage inequality, climate change, Uvalde, QAnon, racial tensions…
Homework for Fillmorites: Let’s be fearless and try trusting one another again.
Respectfully,
Tom Somers,
Fillmore