Essential to protect pols

To the editor:

In this era of violent political hostility, I can’t believe that House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s home wouldn’t have government-assigned security guards. Any of us active and former police officers know that in order to protect anyone who could be a target, from violent political enemies to mobsters who threaten witnesses, the home of the potential target must be watched 24-7. 

Paul Pelosi, her husband, is lucky to be alive after being repeatedly struck with a hammer, as the intruder tried to tie him up and wait for Nancy Pelosi to come home.

Already professionals in security are saying that it is too expensive to protect politicians around the clock. However, Nancy Pelosi is not just any politician. She is someone who has been threatened with violence for many years, but especially every day since Jan. 6, 2021. 

Donald Trump has stoked the violence against his critics and political enemies, and Pelosi has been in his sights since she became speaker. The criminal insurrectionists on Jan. 6, 2021 were heard saying they wanted to kill Pelosi.

Some will say that Nancy Pelosi has enough money to hire her own security guards for her home and family, and while that may be true, it misses the point. Our political leaders, especially prominent Democrats, including Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, have been threatened with kidnapping and death, and it only gets worse as we get close to elections.

The vast majority of the most serious threats come from radical right-wing, white supremacists led by their motivational leader, Donald J. Trump. Another violent insurrection in the near future is likely. We’d better be ready.

Michael J. Gorman