Los Angeles Times
The riot on Capitol Hill took place three years ago, but I remember that fateful day like it was yesterday. That's because in 1972, I had the honor of serving as a congressional staff assistant in the same building that Capitol Hill police valiantly were trying to protect.
Yes, I regularly walked the halls of Congress; and no, the Jan. 6 rioters were not just tourists, as one GOP lawmaker infamously described them.
I'm so thankful the rioters failed in their effort to prevent the counting of electoral college votes. Had they succeeded, who knows what our democracy would look like today?
Denny Freidenrich, Laguna Beach
Daily Pilot
The inaugural class of Orange County Hall of Fame members is a stellar group for sure. What I don’t understand is how Max Von Strobel, Donald Bren, Richard Nixon and Richard O’Neill were not included. Von Strobel wasn’t just Anaheim’s first mayor. He was the first person to ask the Legislature to carve out O.C. from Los Angeles County. Bren isn’t just the largest landowner in the county, his charitable donations dot much of the O.C. landscape. Nixon of course was born in Yorba Linda and lived in San Clemente after leaving the White House. And O’Neill? If you live anywhere in or near Mission Viejo, then you have “Uncle Dick” to thank. I’m thrilled there is an O.C. Hall of Fame now. My hope is the next round of inductees will include Von Strobel, Bren, Nixon and O’Neill.
Denny Freidenrich, Laguna Beach