It appears that Mr. Matthew Klein is unwilling or incapable of learning the most important lessons from his conviction (“Baker City man who pleaded guilty in Jan. 6 Capitol riots discusses presidential pardon,” www.bakercityherald.com).

First, the reason for the Jan. 6 insurrection was most certainly not people “just asking questions” about the 2020 election. The evidence of Trump’s loss was overwhelming, overshadowed only by the mountains of evidence (largely Republican-supplied) that the events of that day were part of a well-organized and deliberate attempt at overturning the results of a fair, free and legal election even at the cost of police officers’ lives. Instead of backing the blue, they backed the coup.

Second, you went to prison on the basis of willful ignorance of the lies of others that did this to aggrandize themselves, not because you mattered in any way. Republicans used to style themselves as the “party of personal responsibility,” so the honorable thing to do here is what someone else has done — accept the consequences of your criminal choice and refuse the pardon.

Third, instead of accepting the consequences, the “law and order” faction of the GOP elects a convicted felon to the highest office in the land, who in turn pardoned others, including those that committed some of the most serious crimes a person can commit in this country. Since neither Trump nor the others involved in January 6th have had punishment that matches their actions, how will they make a principled case that other people’s criminal acts should matter?

Chris Esposito

La Grande

President Donald Trump has betrayed his oath, our country and our safety by pardoning and commuting sentences for 1,500 Jan. 6, 2021, violent rioters. Voters elected him because they wanted lower prices for eggs and housing, not a release of violent criminals. What happened to Republicans who (falsely) claim they “back the Blue”?

We are horrified the president released from prison rioters, including people who violently assaulted and gravely wounded 140 police officers protecting senators, congresspeople and their staff and families. J6 domestic terrorists savagely beat, crushed and stomped on Capitol and Washington, D.C., police officers. These violent criminals fractured skulls, caused one officer to lose an eye, another to lose two fingers, caused heart attacks and concussions. Five officers lost their lives resulting from that traumatic day.

We are all less safe now. One notorious J6 rioter, the QAnon Shaman, Jacob Chansley, posted on X: “Thank you, President Trump … now I’m going to buy a mother (explicative) gun.” The message is alarming for our future: if you support Trump, you can get away with criminal, even violent, acts.

These pardons are different from preemptive pardons President Joe Biden gave to protect Gen. Mark Milley, the Jan. 6 Committee, and others to prevent often-promised revenge against an “enemies list” of lawful opposition threatened by Trump and his enablers.

Mary Tomlinson

Baker City