In response to “Capitol Reflections” comments by Ellsworth Senior High School students in the Jan. 21 I-R:

Mr. Coonrod, government teacher, asked his students these four questions: (1) Did you watch the Capitol events unfold in real time or did you hear about it later? (2) What was your initial reaction to what you were seeing and hearing? (3) What is your reaction or thoughts as you reflect on it over the last few days? and (4) How do you see the future of your country? What are you optimistic about?

These are all very good questions for his students to have pondered. But I think he should have asked his students a fifth question? What was your source of information as you watched these events unfold? If his students watched the “alphabet soup networks” ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and MSNBC — which are quite liberal in their reporting, then they would have gotten news from these liberal-leaning networks. But if they got their news from watching FOX News or Newsmax, they would have gotten their news from the conservative perspective.

Another question that Mr. Coonrod might have asked his students to consider might have been: What was your reaction to seeing all the looting and burning that occurred this past summer in Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland, and other cities under Democrat mayors?

President Trump urged his followers to march “peacefully and patriotically”. This was not inciting an insurrection. Contrast this with Democrat New York Sen. Chuck Schumer’s threat to Supreme Court Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh: “I want to tell you Gorsuch. I want to tell you Kavanaugh. You have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you:’ Also Democrat California Rep. Maxine Waters said this about then-President Trump: “I’m going to take him out.” I seriously don’t think she was referring to taking him out to dinner and a movie.”

Ron Etchison

Ellsworth