Sir, – Rev Dr John Cameron’s opinion that the US would benefit from Trump’s being pardoned (Pardon Trump and allow nation to heal its wounds, Courier, January 18) as it was with Nixon’s pardon ignores circumstances around the two presidents’ offences and indeed the men themselves.
Nixon, having had his role in the break-in of the Democratic National Committee offices and then the subsequent cover-up made public, resigned, acknowledging his wrongdoing.
Trump, on the other hand, has consistently refused any such repentance.
This leads me to the second reason Trump should not be pardoned. His crimes are so numerous and ongoing, a pardon will only condone his behaviour and strengthen his bid for another run for office or, more likely, to fill his and his family’s pockets.
It will also allow him to receive multi-million-dollar benefits as a former president.
Trump does not care about America or its citizens, but only about himself and family.
His refusal to acknowledge his defeat goes beyond his damaged psyche’s need to always win.
It questions the legitimacy of the entire election process and threatens American democracy.
He actively has incited a mob to storm the Capitol and remove lawmakers.
This is not simply not playing by the rules, it is an attempted violent overthrow of the whole system.
People have died as a result, not something that can be easily pardoned in anyone’s eyes.
And all the while, he has been collecting millions from his supporters.
His entire tenure as president has been a trashing of rules. Republican lawmakers have put their party above the health of the nation in refusing to condemn him even when they acknowledge what he is doing is wrong.
There are no consequences for his actions.
Trump is a greedy, egocentric and dangerous man, who has fooled a gullible public with the aid of a right-wing media focused on viewer numbers and Republicans looking towards re-election.
We cannot just turn the other cheek when faced with ongoing violence, lies, and corruption.
America deserves justice, not capitulation.
Beth Glass.
Over Rankeillour House,
By Cupar.
We may have to live with virus forever
Sir, – Daily we are bombarded by reports stating that strict lockdown measures are a vital tool in defeating coronavirus.
However, little or no mention is made of two areas of research that are worth looking at in this context.
In 1969 the opportunity was taken to conduct a study of upper respiratory infections on 14 men who were to winter at Adelaide Island Base in Antarctica and have no contact with other humans for nine months.
They were all of good health at the start, and no respiratory infections were noted for the first 17 weeks.
At this point, the symptoms of a cold occurred in one man and spread to half of the crew, most likely to have been viral.
The most likely explanation for the outbreak was that a virus had persisted either in the men or in the environment they found themselves.
In October 2020 a team of 10, including Max Wallis, published a research paper which suggests that coronavirus can, and did, travel around the world on winds, as free organisms or attached to dust particles, and is supported by previous studies.
These two studies suggest that we may have to just learn to live with Covid indefinitely.
Geoff Moore.
Alness,
Highland.
Irony of research donation not lost
Sir, – Oxford University has been given the sum of £100 million by Ineos for research that is being carried out to combat the rise of antibiotic-resistant “superbugs’’.
It is ironic then that the Extinction Rebellion demonstrators who prevented access to the Ineos chemicals plant at Grangemouth in October last year could now have their lives saved by a donation from a petrochemical plant.
Clark Cross.
Springfield Road,
Linlithgow,
West Lothian.
