Letters to the Editor: Latest Comey indictment is a troubling, politicized twist of language

To the editor: Anyone who has worked in the food industry (or has been out of their house in the last 50 years) knows that “86” typically means to stop serving someone — usually alcohol — not to harm them (“Ex-FBI Director Comey indicted again; officials call his online post of seashells a threat against Trump,” April 28). There is no meaningful use of “86” in American society to mean “kill.”

For the Department of Justice to seize on this obscure reinterpretation and use it to justify action against yet another perceived opponent of President Trump raises serious concerns about overreach. It’s difficult not to view this as a politicized stretch — one that echoes the very “witch hunt” and “fake news” rhetoric Trump himself frequently uses to dismiss criticism.

If this kind of reasoning becomes acceptable, it sets a troubling precedent. When institutions bend language to fit a narrative, the real casualty is public trust — and ultimately, the country itself.

Donald Williams, Riverside

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To the editor: The latest vindictive indictment of Comey raises a question: How soon will the DOJ indict Amazon and its executive chairman, Jeff Bezos, for allowing “86 47” shirts to be sold? I see at least four versions of the shirts on the Amazon website today ranging from $9.99 to $19.99.

Bob Wright, Sacramento

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To the editor: The hypocrisy of this administration is staggering. Trump and his acting attorney general have indicted Comey (again) on charges that his post of seashells spelling out “86 47” pointed to issuing a call to violence against Trump.

I would like to hear the attorney general explain why the insurrectionists on Jan. 6, 2021, some of whom called for the execution of Trump’s then-Vice President Mike Pence and then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, were labeled “patriots” and subsequently pardoned by the president.

2028 cannot come fast enough.

Robert Parra, Rowland Heights