LETTER | Actions speak louder than words, especially on Capitol Hill

I won’t laugh at Congressman Dusty Johnson’s Viewpoint “A Call To Civility” because I feel more like crying. While I wouldn’t want former President Trump to be assassinated, I remind the Congressman that Donald Trump called for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and wanted his minions to hang the Vice President as well as endanger the totality of the Congress, the Capitol police and anyone else who happened to be in the Capitol that day. Four people, including one police officer, died, four more police officers committed suicide in the following seven months and 174 police officers were injured. I can’t remember if it was mom or dad who told me when I was a boy, “you reap what you sow.”

I have pleaded with the Congressman, our two Senators, the President and now the Vice-President to stop funding the war in Ukraine, Israel’s war on Gaza and the West Bank and now the possible war with China over Taiwan. When prominent Israelis posted an op-Ed in the New York Times, I pleaded with my three legislators to honor that plea and disinvite Benjamin Netanyahu from speaking before Congress. But instead they joined the majority of their colleagues and gave Netanyahu an accused war criminal who is committing genocide against the Palestinian people, a new record in standing ovations including one, when Netanyahu called those of us protesting his genocide, “useful idiots of Iran.” 

Atop the Viewpoint section of this newspaper, a quotation of the First Amendment – part of protects the right of the people to peaceably assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances. Nine protesters were arrested at the speech and six family members of hostages were arrested. That is to say nothing of the thousands of students and professors arrested in the winter and spring, protesting for Free Palestine.

More than 500,000 Ukrainians have died so far in that war and more than 150,000 Russians. In Palestine more than 40,000, and only God knows how many are under the rubble. 

All I ask is that Congressman Johnson remember who he represents, and it sure isn’t Netanyahu.

Lanny Stricherz

Sioux Falls