Letter to the Editor

To the editor:

In a recent article in a daily newspaper, the author states that there is something wrong with Donald Trump, and I am inclined to agree. The author points out that a private citizen like Christine Ford, upon telling her story, “shouldn’t have to endure being called a liar by the President of the United States.”

Even most of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s supporters understand that baseline of decency. Trump does not get this.

His campaign for the presidency and as president has included denigrating a tortured prisoner of war, a grotesque flailing impression of a disabled reporter, trashing the parents of a dead soldier, mocking the physical appearance of a female primary opponent and putting Nazis and anti-Nazis on the same moral plane after Charlottesville. These actions would be shocking coming from a sixth-grader, much less the president.

Like many of you tribalistic Trump supporters, I too feel like the political system in this country is broken: To get elected it takes enormous sums of donations, and with those donations comes an obligation to support the views/opinions/beliefs of the very wealthy in this country. And that is what we are seeing when you have one political party controlling everything.

Our opinions mean nothing. And the legislation that is being passed benefits the 1 percent the most, with very little trickling down to the middle and lower class. Environmental concerns including climate change are being ignored, women’s rights are being abused, and people of color are being treated like they don’t matter.

And where are our political leaders here in Missouri in all this? To say nothing is to agree with Trump and his cronies. How many lawsuits, fraudulent financial dealings and out and out lies do we have to hear, before U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner, U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt or Attorney General Josh Hawley say something. To say nothing is to support this wacked-out Trump administration.

So when and if you go to the polls next week, please do a little research before you automatically vote for anyone with an “R” next to their name. This election is about more than abortion and free stuff for poor people.

See how the candidates voted on issues and who donates the most to their campaigns if you are concerned about health care, Medicare, Social Security.

As I watch Trump supporters at some of his rallies, I wonder if there is something wrong with them. Are you part of this mob scene, or do you believe that America is already great but the direction we are currently heading is eroding that greatness?

Jim Kaznica
Oakville