Kidnapping the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, along with his wife, is one of the most reckless decisions President Donald Trump has made. Voting for him in 2024, I was expecting something more thoughtful, reasoned and humane since he vowed to be the “peace president.” No man can claim to be for peace when he waves his sword around, showing signs of sleep deprivation at the least.
Trump would do himself and the people of the United States a favor if he resigned and let Vice President JD Vance take the reins. Vance is logical, reasonable and compassionate. He is not emotional and doesn’t seem to be in a big rush while making decisions that affect all of us. I hope and believe he would take his oath to uphold the Constitution more seriously than Trump, consulting with Congress and obtaining its approval before engaging in an act of war.
Conrad Lebeau, West Allis, Wisconsin
The face of Venezuela
In 2005, I spent two weeks in Venezuela to hike the Mount Roraima tepui and visit Angel Falls, the tallest falls in the world. Hugo Chávez was at the peak of his power, yet in Caracas and every other city I traveled to, there was not one poster of him on the walls. There was not one T-shirt with his image in the many stores I searched to buy a present for a lefty friend. My guide had a brother working for the government, and he, too, could not find such a shirt. Chávez apparently was not interested in hero worship. Today in Caracas, Nicolás Maduro’s face is everywhere. Chávez was a revolutionary, the Lenin of Venezuela, and Maduro is Venezuela’s Stalin.
Edward Naritomi, Berkeley, California
Greenland on his mind
Regarding the Jan. 7 editorial “Greenland isn’t worth destroying NATO over”:
Denmark willingly provided America with excellent bases in Greenland from 1941 to 1992. Since then, it has been Washington’s decision to effectively retain only the Thule base, and even there it has reduced forces by 97 percent. Reportedly, site maintenance has suffered. President Donald Trump is acting like a man whose friend lent him a coat, only for him to return it, seemingly having no more need of it, but who now threatens to burgle his friend’s house to steal it.
Michael Upton, Edinburgh, Scotland
Heroes at the Capitol
Regarding Paul Kane’s Jan. 7 @PKCapitol column, “A hidden plaque symbolizes the battle over how Jan. 6, 2021, should be viewed” [Politics & The Nation]:
I live 12 blocks from the Capitol. It’s my neighborhood. I remember Jan. 6, 2021, vividly: watching the attack on TV, talking to neighbors and going to the Capitol around 4:30 p.m., when the dust had started to settle.
Five years have passed since that day of insurrection, when a violent mob was hell-bent on overturning the results of a free and fair election and brave patriots stood up for democracy.
A simple plaque listing the agencies involved that day is the most appropriate way to honor all who were a part of defending it. The installation of the plaque could have been a short, respectful ceremony, with little fanfare, instead of the political football it has become.
It is disgracefully ironic that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) is the key to having this plaque installed or not. It was his butt, along with those of his cohorts, being protected that day by the very patriots he now refuses to honor.
Skip Strobel, Washington
Heroes on the Mall
My days flying Dustoff Army helicopters taught me the importance of focusing on a mission and seeing it through. When I traveled to D.C. last month, my mission was clear: to witness the passage of the Hershel Woody Williams National Medal of Honor Monument Location Act.
I’m sad to report the mission was unsuccessful. From the gallery above the Senate floor, I was stunned to watch Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) block the bill. It had passed the House unanimously and should have sailed through.
As I, along with other Medal of Honor recipients, grow older, our greatest hope is to see a monument on the National Mall, not for ourselves but for what the medal represents: courage, sacrifice and patriotism. Padilla’s actions have clouded that vision. I urge the senator to reconsider and allow this long-overdue monument to move forward.
Patrick Brady, New Braunfels, Texas
The writer, a retired major general, earned the Medal of Honor in Vietnam for a series of missions under enemy fire during which he used three helicopters to rescue more than 50 wounded soldiers in one day.
Turnover for the Commanders
The biggest takeaway from Tom Schad’s Jan. 6 online Sports analysis, “Six takeaways from Adam Peters and Dan Quinn’s season wrap-up,” is that all six takeaways were football-related. There was no discussion of alleged criminal or other misbehavior by the owners, coaches, staff or players. No mention of the owners undermining other owners. No need to focus on fighting over a stadium replacement. And no comment about fans receiving threats or lawsuits from the owners regarding season ticket purchases. Even though the Commanders finished with a disappointing 5-12 record, the team’s new owners have truly commenced a new era for football in Washington.
Ted Borris, Burke
Post Opinions wants to know: Bob Brody’s Dec. 30 op-ed, “Every family has a history. Here’s how to hand it down.,” encouraged children to interview their parents and grandparents. How has your family preserved its history? What have you discovered? Send us your response, and it might be published as a letter to the editor. wapo.st/family_history
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