Thanks to all who wrote concerning the story of the father whose son has been "detained" for months after the Capitol breach and our follow-up concerning a letter critical of the dad. Here's one we found particularly insightful and would like to highlight, from Terry...
Dear Gov. Huckabee:
First of all, I am extremely grateful for your daily newsletters, which are a primary source of news for me, as well as for your TV show that provides a variety unmatched in that medium.
I'm moved to write concerning what is being said about the events of January 6 by people on both ends of the spectrum who seemingly value inflammatory hyperbole over rational discussion of what actually happened. Your own remarks have consistently been even-handed and well thought out, it seems to me.
Conservatives are wearily accustomed to the distortions and outright falsehoods voiced by people like the chair of the Joint Chiefs and the Capitol Police officer who testified this week before the House committee. As onerous as those remarks are to us, some statements I've seen in your reader comments bother me almost as much. They amount to heaping fuel on the fire that the left wants to keep burning. The criticism leveled at the letter from the detainee's father was to me excessive and uncalled for.
Believing in an unrealistic and idealized view of Jan 6 is certainly their prerogative, but conservatives who do so need to realize the grave harm still being done to the movement they purport to represent.
This response is somewhat lengthy I know so I will end here. Once again, thanks for providing a forum for rational discussion.
Terry Allen
Pekin, IL
Dear Terry:
Thank you so much for writing. This is a point we've been trying to make ever since the event took place. It's easy to understand why Trump supporters were fed up --- especially after even the Supreme Court refused to look at evidence --- and why some of them were ready to blow and desperately wanted to make a statement, but to understand this is not the same as approving of it or defending it.
The way they chose to make their statement caused tremendous long-term harm to conservatives, by playing right into the left's hands. We should know by now how the left will twist whatever they can to further their own narrative, which in this case was that Trump supporters are crazy right-wing "insurrectionists" who want to "subvert democracy." Conservatives attended that rally because they want to PROTECT democracy. Think that case ended up being made? No, it did not.
Letters such as yours might help more conservatives see that we have to not just fight, but FIGHT SMART. Thanks again.
Leave a Comment
Note: Fields marked with an * are required.