When will I learn to stop looking for signs of redemption, honesty or guilt from syndicated columnist Mark Thiessen? Had I stopped with the headline of his Jan. 12 column, “Trump has blood on his hands,” he might have fooled me again.

But after a glimmer of truth regarding Trump’s repeated “election fraud” lies — and his role in creating the recent insurrection against the Capitol, Congress and democracy — Thiessen returns to his time-honored deflections. It was “the media” that really “failed us.”

He is correct in this observation, but neglects the opportunity to name specific “media” culprits. He cites media’s general “loss of credibility,” but refuses to designate Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, all other TV and radio Trump-supporting, lie-enabling vehicles. As recently as Jan. 2, chief conspirator Kevin McCarthy appeared on Fox to continue The Big Lie of a “stolen election.” Fox co-conspirators like Lou Dobbs and Maria Bartiromo have continued to spread this disinformation even since the attempted coup. Thiessen’s peers feel no shame.

I also notice that Thiessen feels compelled to record the name of the seditionist killed by the Capitol Police, who were valiantly protecting elected officials, but he does not mention the name of the policeman murdered by that same mob. This glaring omission does not build media credibility.

Thiessen and his ilk have searched for non-existent silver linings to Trump’s amoral behavior for five years. Please forgive me for finding all post-attempted coup reflections on decency and “healing” difficult to stomach.

Peter Lasagna, Auburn

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