To the Editor
Re “Will Trump Get Away With Inciting an Insurrection?,” by Laurence H. Tribe, Donald Ayer and Dennis Aftergut (Opinion guest essay, Dec. 29):
The Biden administration would lose if Donald Trump was tried by the Justice Department. It would only stir up animosity among right-wing and possibly even moderate voters, especially if Mr. Trump again brandishes the “witch hunt” epithet for the Jan. 6 insurrection investigation as he did with the Russia investigation.
Attorney General Merrick Garland should instead appoint a special attorney with all the powers of investigation and prosecution in connection to the attack on the Capitol in January. This will free the administration from the investigation and avoid potential political pitfalls. This time, the appointed counsel must make a complete public report to Congress, with no redactions, after all the prosecutions have been completed. This will allow citizens of this struggling democracy to see the full picture of how close we came to losing our Constitution nearly a year ago.
Gregg Smith
Stanfordville, N.Y.
To the Editor
All indications are that Merrick Garrarland is too subdued to be an attorney general in this particular time in history. His concerns that investigations into Donald Trump and his lieutenants might be seen as more Justice Department involvement with politics are completely unfounded. Yes, many will view the pursuit for justice in this case as politically motivated. But can their protests stop us from determining who is responsible for this attack on democracy?
Trump and his cult members will be the ones who howl loudest. Too many Republicans will join their ranks, even though they know better. These complainers are the real source of the threats that we face.
Their self-serving protestations shouldn’t be given any weight. Follow the law and the facts, Mr. AttorneyGeneral.
T.G. Krontiris
Pasadena, Calif.
To the Editor
I cannot agree more with the authors’ assessment. I am not a partisan. Since I was young, I have voted Republican. I was looking to find candidates who were both fiscally conservative yet socially liberal. I was able keep that fine line, but the last five years have been disappointing and frightening.
It is alarming that Donald Trump may be reelected. I urge our state legislators and federal attorneys general to gather sufficient evidence and indict Donald Trump for the crimes he and his sycophants have committed.
Steven F. Harwin
New York
Attacks and threats against Anthony Fauci
To the Editor
Re “Fox News Steps Up Its Anti-Fauci Drumbeat” (Business, Dec. 24):
You describe the awful harassment and threats directed against Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of America’s most honored investigators of infectious diseases. For 37 years, he has been the head of the federal agency that supports research in infectious agents. He is highly respected by the community of infectious agents scholars. He has been thoughtful in his communication to the executive branch as well as the public about the complex issues posed by infectious agents.
They have lived in constant fear due to the threats made against him and his family. He has courageously stood up against the attacks on him and his integrity and has spoken truthfully to the nation. His counsel and advice are crucial as we fight the terrible threat coronaviruses pose for our health and livelihoods.
David Baltimore
Robert Bazell
Dr. Baltimore is president emeritus of California Institute of Technology. He was also a 1975 Nobel laureate for Physiology and Medicine. Bazell is an adjunct professor at Yale University, and was the chief science correspondent for NBC News.
To the Editor
I’m confused: In 2008 President George W. Bush awarded Dr. Anthony Fauci the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States, for his devotion to science and for his work to combat AIDS. Thirteen years later, why are stalwarts of the same Republican Party as Mr. Bush — individuals such as Ted Cruz, Ron DeSantis, Jim Jordan and Marjorie Taylor Greene, whom you quote in your article — now launching such horrific invectives toward him?
Gary A. Rendsburg
Highland Park, N.J.
The Daily Frustrations amid Covid
To the Editor
Re “We’d Like to Speak to the Manager” (Sunday Business, Jan. 2):
Sarah Lyall devotes too much attention to petulant people, and not enough to those times we spend an hour on hold to talk to a Covid test scheduler only to be told that the next available PCR is a week away; meanwhile we don’t know whether to quarantine away from our loved ones.
… Or dutifully go to the state website to find a drive-through test site and get there an hour early to get a decent place in line, only to be told when it opens that it does not do drive-through anymore and we (both in 70s) now must go stand at the end of a line winding around the block in the wintry cold.
… Or search as directed online for a pharmacy selling at-home test kits only to find none within 20 miles that have tests in stock.
Many people are worried about their ability to manage this frightening, disruptive, and confusing disease. It is not rude to listen to canned promos or hear tinny Muzak for an hour every time you call the bank or vendor. We should be more aware of the frustrations that many of us feel.
Nancy Brockway
Boston
Mourning Betty White, Capping off an Awful Year
To the Editor
Re “Betty White, 1922-2021: TV Golden Girl From the Start” (obituary, front page, Jan. 1):
So, the despicable 2021 had one more sour pill to deliver before it faded into history. After everything we’ve been through this past year, the death of Betty White, on New Year’s Eve no less, was almost too much to bear.
To paraphrase a line from one of her best bits on “Golden Girls,” “Haven’t we suffered enough?”
David B. Dearinger
Richmond, Va.
Fair Pay for Women
To the Editor
Re “What Do You Think You Should Be Paid?” (Sunday Business, Jan. 2):
Emily Peck thanks for highlighting the problems employers still have in setting wages. But unless you’re in marketing, how well you sell yourself should never be the standard for how much you earn. Criteria must be fair, transparent, and clear and should be applied equitably to all.
Let’s not forget that most workers have no say in wages, benefits or working conditions. That’s why unionization and revaluing the labor performed by women are so critical. The market rates for jobs related to care and services regarded as “women’s work” reflect a long, shameful legacy of racial and gender injustice.
Ellen Bravo
Milwaukee
The writer is a long-standing activist and author on issues related to working women. She is also co-founder of Family Values @ Work and a strategic advisor.
Trump’s Pitch to Black Voters
To the Editor
Reading “Map by Map, G.O.P. Erasing Black Districts” (front page, Dec. 19) reminded me of Donald Trump’s pitch to Black voters during the 2016 campaign: “What do you have to lose?”
The boldfaced dishonesty and cynicism of this statement is now all too evident as we watch the former president’s confreres and his judicial appointments erase decades of gains in the voting power of Black Americans.
Arthur Greenberg
Rye, N.H.
Source: NY Times
