To the Editor:

Recently, a pair of 22-year-old women visited our nation’s capitol.

On Jan. 6 of this year, Miss Riley June Williams of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania was one of the visitors that day to our seat of government. After attending a rally to support President Donald Trump she, along with several thousand others, marched down Pennsylvania Avenue to invade the halls of our Capitol.

Miss Williams distinguished herself that day by breaching the capitol building with her fellow rioters and is accused of stealing property belonging to a member of Congress. The riots went on for six hours. Miss Williams was recognized and was apprehended.

At her hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Martin Carlson emphasized that the rights Miss Williams enjoyed at that moment came from the United States Constitution. Miss Williams is now under house arrest at her mother’s home.

On Jan. 20 of this year, another 22-year-old woman visited our nation’s capitol. Miss Amanda Gorman,  youth poet laureate, was invited to recite her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” in front of our newly sworn-in president, Joseph Biden, as well as 40 million viewers of this inauguration.

In six minutes, Miss Gorman captivated our nation with her words, her gestures, her enunciation, and her story wrapped up in the presentation of her poem. She was immediately welcomed into the pantheon of those poets such as Robert Frost and Maya Angelou who have also read poems at inaugurations.

In short, she “stole the show.”  She is now being recognized internationally for her talent.

Recently, a pair of 22-year-old women visited our nation’s capitol.

John B. Haluska

Guilderland