Letter to the Editor: What happened to Republican party?

Editor,

The Republican Party is broken. Its face, a self-styled QAnon “shaman” wearing horns and animal skins. Many within its ranks are neo-Nazis, white supremacists, QAnon and other domestic terrorists. Most Republicans, myself included, detest what the party has become.

We all witnessed the horror of Jan. 6. What has happened to the party of Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan?

Even after the violence incited by former President Donald Trump’s lies, Republicans repeated those lies, voting to trash millions of legal ballots to keep the head insurrectionist in office. They betrayed their oaths to defend our democracy against all threats, both foreign and domestic.

On Feb. 13, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell loudly declared that Trump was guilty of all charges — lying, insurrection, and dereliction of duty. Yet moments before he voted not to impeach. This is justice?

What happened to “Backing the Blue?” Hundreds of brave men and women in uniform upheld their oaths on Jan. 6. Many were injured and one beaten to death. Sure, the Senate gave a round of applause saying thank you for saving us. Yet, 43 Republican Senators gave Trump a pass.

Thank God we have the courts. Criminal investigations have begun against Trump in Georgia for attempting to influence the election and in New York for bank and tax fraud. There are dozens of civil suits for defamation in the works as well.

This Reagan Republican is joining the hundreds of thousands of other Republicans who have left the party since Jan. 6. I will try to bring a conservative voice to the Democratic Party, hoping to give it balance.

If we conservatives don’t stand united against violence and mob rule, who will stand for us when the mob comes for me or you?

God bless America.

Wayne Edelman

South Fork