Letters to the Editor: Trump deserves no presidential pomp on his way out of office

To the editor: I am sad and mad at seeing the fortification of Washington for the inauguration. I blame the state of our country on the man currently leaving the White House. (“Our disastrous president,” editorial, Jan. 17)

For years he said that the 2016 election was rigged because he lost the popular vote. A self-proclaimed law-and-order president, he feels rules and regulations are not for him. Thus, his propensity to lie and surround himself with loyalists has brought us to a point where we are ready to do battle on our streets.

Now, he wants a send-off that will show the world a man deserving of some attention on a day when his successor would normally get it. As an Air Force veteran, I hope the military declines to give him the send-off he does not deserve.

Why should we give him the honor of a red carpet and 21-gun salute when he is responsible for the chaos on Jan. 6? The signs are that because of Trump, we face a future in which Americans will be battling white supremacists and other far-right elements.

Diana Offen, Glendora

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To the editor: While your editorial clearly spelled out many of the “norms he shattered” and the “institutions he threatened,” it left out one of the most dangerous features of this presidency.

President Trump constantly deferred to Russian President Vladimir Putin in the latter’s attempts to weaken, divide and sideline the United States. Of course, books have been and will be written on this subject, but to ignore the implications of Trump’s service to a foreign power seems to be a serious omission in this otherwise comprehensive editorial.

This president played into the hands of Putin by destabilizing our country and endangering our democracy. Please do not let this go unsaid.

Christine Rios, Murrieta

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To the editor: When Trump, the “businessman” with multiple bankruptcies, won the 2016 election, I thought that he could not possibly do much worse than that by bankrupting the entire country.

Well, he’s done something worse: He’s convinced a lot of people that being morally bankrupt is a virtue.

Katrin Wiese, Rialto

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To the editor: The most salient feature of Trump’s term in office will be his inciting an insurrection on Jan. 6, a day that now and forever be known as a second “day of infamy” in the United States.

Trump’s legacy will not, however, be set by that day alone. It will be determined by how Americans respond. Will we renew the torch of democracy as Abraham Lincoln did? Or will we allow it to be extinguished?

The news media have a significant role in answering these questions.

Sidney Weissman, Highland Park, Ill.