Is it just me, or have others paid attention to how many of the so-called "leaders" and "spokespersons" of the mobs rioting since last May have often cited the late Martin Luther King Jr. as inspiration and justification for their violent actions? His quotes and speeches have been referenced as if those words gave them permission to wreak havoc and mayhem across this great nation with no regard for their fellow men and women.

Hiding behind this false veil of righteousness, they have destroyed tens of millions of dollars of business and personal property, put many small business owners out of business permanently, and looted stores without fear of reprisal. They have intimidated those who opposed them with verbal threats and physical violence, and they are responsible for the murders of many innocent fellow citizens of different races and ethnicities, including those they claim to be fighting for.

What a shame they have not heeded the words of King's quote, which was published in The Eagle's editorial cartoon on Jan. 19: "If you succumb to the temptation of using violence in your struggle unborn generations will be the recipients of a long and desolate night of bitterness and your chief legacy will be an endless reign of meaningless chaos."

Had this quote been cited throughout this time of chaos around the country by news organizations, social media, religious leaders, prominent politicians, professional athletes and, possibly, a few Hollywood types to reinforce "violence is not the solution," perhaps some of these senseless, violent acts could have been avoided, along with the deaths of innocent Americans.

What a tragic irony.

K.B. MULLINS

College Station

Hopefully, the country can heal after the past four years

As a follower of Christ, I am perplexed by the persistent dogged devotion and unquestioning belief (which I think should be reserved for only one, the Son of Man) to one who consistently has behaved as the least Christian-like president in my lifetime.

If these followers are one-item voters, as many are, I get it. You have three Supreme Court justices. But to continue to believe the inconsistency and lies that surely will continue long after he has left office? You don't need to listen to any news reports (of course, it's fake if it contradicts Trump) to verify that he consistently put himself first, instead of America. Listen to what he says, not sound bites, in its' entirety. News writers can't make it any worse than he already has.

His followers still believed after telling them he would march with them to storm the Capitol, then got in his car and went the opposite direction to watch from the safety of the White House while five were killed. On film, one Trump supporter tried to call off thugs who were threatening a news crew, saying, "Guys, this isn't who we are." Unfortunately, I think that fellow was in the minority that day.

The guy with the horns was not antifa.

The guy with his shoes on Pelosi's desk was not Antifa.

The similarities between the rise of Adolf Hitler in 1930s Germany and the idealization of Trump in America should not be lost on those who follow history. Galations 5:20 as a previous writer stated, can and often does apply to politicians in general, not just those of one party. However, upon reading, it seems the person who was "in charge" of our country for the past four years fits the description well (hatred, jealousy, fits of discord, rage). Hopefully now the country can heal.

MARCY HALTERMAN-COX

College Station

Cornyn and Cruz show contempt for the truth

Sen. John Cornyn calls the Trump impeachment trial "bad idea" and Sen. Ted Cruz said, "Democrats and big tech's desire to silence dissent is a dangerous totalitarian instinct"

No, no. Inciting an insurrection is a "bad idea'" and a "dangerous totalitarian instinct."

Those involved should be punished as severely as possible. They are terrorists (domestic), white supremacists and Donald Trump was their leader.

No American supported letting the 9/11 terrorists go unpunished, so why would Cornyn and Cruz advocate that Trump go unpunished?

Their logic is so deeply flawed that we must question their leadership and whether they have more allegiance to power than to our state, country and the truth.

ADAM KLAUS

College Station

Officials should give priority to those in need

Currently, the only way to register for getting the COVID vaccine is on the CHI St. Joseph website. On the questionnaire, it asks the registrant if he or she has a Class 1 condition, which includes a list of nine.

My question of St. Joseph Health's Dr. Kia Parsi and Task Force chief Jim Stewart" Are the people with these conditions given priority status?

The people with these serious health issues are in dire need of the protection that the vaccine can provide. Their doctors, in some cases, have urged them to get the vaccine immediately. However, they are at the mercy oft hose organizing the events and scheduling the appointments.

I strongly urge them to review the applications and prioritize those in dire need.

SUSAN GANDY

Bryan

Sessions should resign over his disinformation

U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions' attempt to whitewash his responsibility for the events of Jan. 6 is as pathetic as it was predictable.

Between Nov. 2 and Dec., 5, Sessions posted no fewer than 70 items on Facebook that amplified debunked election fraud conspiracy theories meant to undermine the legitimacy of President Joe Biden's win. It was, and is, a direct assault on the cornerstone of our democracy: the people's faith in free and fair elections.

The disinformation campaign led by President Donald Trump and supported by Sessions and other sycophants led directly to the seditious insurrection at the Capitol. While Sessions may not have lit the match that sparked the violence, he certainly helped stack the cordwood.

Even then, after the bodies of the dead had been removed and the scent of tear gas lingered in the air, he walked the excrement smeared halls of our capitol, and cast his votes to further the damage.

In his op-ed of Jan. 21, he tries to separate those votes from his disinformation campaign of the preceding months, to convince us that he never meant to overturn the election results, that he was "simply following the constitutional procedure."

Please, sir, do not insult our intelligence.

Sessions has done nothing to mitigate the damage he has done to the institutions of our republic. In his op-ed, he continues to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election. As a member of the Sedition Caucus, he will be a pariah for the remainder of his term and unable to effectively represent the people of the 17th district.

Given the opportunity, I have little doubt that the people of Central Texas again would elect a Republican to represent us. Resign, sir, and allow us to choose someone capable of doing so with dignity and honor.

RICK KENNEDY

Pflugerville

Whistle discriminatory tunes with comfort

I've decided to start selling the ultimate dog whistle for conveying all of one's homophobic, xenophobic, misogynistic, antidemocratic, racist, ageist, climate change denial and United Nations/affirmative action hatred. A person will be able to discriminate in the comfort of his or her own home with the "Universal Dog Whistle" (patent pending).

My classic dog whistles are made from the highest quality non-recyclable plastic. All whistles, ironically, are no bigger than one's middle finger. Each one comes with its own calibrated frequency. For example, the whistle for racism uses a different tone than the one for homophobia. In addition, one can control the coverage of discrimination with the "Transmission Knob'" The "Wild-Eyed" setting will impact an entire town or city, "Feverish" will infect only the immediate household, while the "Un-American" exclusively harms liberals, progressives, Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ and registered members of the Democratic Party.

The Universal Dog Whistle comes in three patriotic colors and patterns: Bright MAGA Red, Pure Lily-White, and the Star-Spangled Banner, which has Trump's embossed fingers gripping an American flag.

The Universal Dog Whistle is the creation of my international team of scientists and visionaries from Korea, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines and Iran. I'm proud to acknowledge that much of my funding comes from nameless investors in Russia and China.

Each individual whistle is priced at $29.99. However, a set of eight whistles offers the full range of discriminatory frequencies and is only $199. The whistle set comes with a complimentary pamphlet that releases the buyer from adherence to the tired trope that everyone is equal under the U.S. Constitution and in the eyes of God. The pamphlet also provides a forceful definition of satire, as if a fat pigeon has just crash-landed in a thick row of spring tomatoes.

DUKE MILLER

Guanajuato, Mexico