The Republican Party keeps harping on their “legitimate political discourse,” known to most as the Jan. 6 insurrection.

I find it ironic, that back in 1970, Ohio Republican Gov. James Rhodes ordered the Ohio National Guard to a student demonstration at Kent State University. The tragic shooting death of four students became a rallying cry for a generation. May 4 and Jan. 6 were both engineered by the same political party. Fifty-two years ago, they were intent on maintaining their control over a political climate; last year, they wanted to disrupt it.

As political shenanigans unfold, I’ve tried to follow the philosophy of songwriter Elvis Costello, who penned the lyric “I used to be disgusted. And now I try to be amused.” The cry of unfair treatment by the Republican Party over their current involvement in Jan. 6 has left me mirthless.

Kevin Keiser
Portland