I know that this entire political arena has become vitriolic, full of hatred and name-calling, insults flying to and fro.
Well, to start off, I am not going to insult you or call you stupid. I know many Trump supporters. While there may be a rough profile of a Trump supporter, I know many who come from every nook and cranny of US society. Smart people. Successful people. Great parents to their children. Loving brothers and sisters. God-fearing, good people. You can’t ever paint an entire group of people with the same brush. I know if you are reading this, you have your reasons for supporting Donald Trump. And I am not going to rant and rave and tell you it is crazy or foolish. Your reasons are as valid as anyone else’s reasons for choosing their candidate.
Believe me, I get why you won’t support Hillary Clinton. I get it. Yes, she has lied. No doubt about it. While I can argue that I cannot think of a politician who hasn’t, and certainly Donald Trump has a long history of lying, this doesn’t forgive Hillary for her transgressions. The argument of saying, “Everyone else did it,” hardly justifies wrongdoing. Yep, she has lied. Lots.
She was also evasive and deceptive regarding her use of a personal email server while serving as the US Secretary of State. In my view it was plain dumb. Maybe “idiotic” is a better word. Why even risk such a thing when you are serving in one of the world’s most sensitive posts? And she didn’t handle it correctly or transparently, dodging and ducking and speaking in “lawyerese” like her husband did during the height of the Monica Lewinsky mess. While we may disagree on whether she should go to jail or not, there is no doubt it demonstrated poor judgment and lack of transparency.
The point is, I can fully appreciate your anger, and I can certainly understand why Hillary Clinton is not your choice. I can further understand you want to send a signal to Washington, to our politicians of today that we, the voters, are the “bosses,” and they aren’t. Got it. And I applaud you for it. Change is not a bad thing at all. Change is, in fact, crucial for progress in any facet of life.
When any of us feels that visceral, burning desire for dramatic change, we must prudently step back and ensure we are not chasing change in a moment of fury, overcome with emotions. We owe it to ourselves, our families, and everything and everyone we care about. This is the essence of responsibility.
Let’s imagine for a minute you have a chronic disease like leukemia. And let’s say, like the belief in our country, that you are “sick and only getting worse.” So you become dissatisfied with your current doctor, just like one can be dissatisfied with our current political leadership.
Hence, you desire change. And fast. And so you decide to “vote” and change doctors. Makes sense, right?
Now, this is your health, and it’s quite important. So you want to do it right. Not just plunge into things, and end up perhaps sicker, or even worse, dead.
So just a few questions, if you’ll allow me:
1. Would you hire a new doctor that had no experience whatsoever with your disease? Had never treated a case of leukemia?
2. Would you feel comfortable with a doctor who won’t tell you what his precise treatment plans are, and can only say, “You are in terrible shape” and “I will make you great again!” But never gives any substance on the medicines he will use?
3. Would you put your life and health in the hands of a doctor who had a distinct history of lying? Of spouting wild conspiracy theories? Who was being investigated for fraudulent activities? Who had bankrupted his practice four separate times? Would you trust his cool demeanor to handle your illness and even maybe surgery with the poise you would want in that operating room? Would you not be worried he might “lose it” when it matters most?
4. Would you trust the character of a person who can’t take criticism, and whose only response is an egotistical attack on others, including name-calling and making up stories about their families? Would you want that scalpel in this person’s hands? Really?
I wouldn’t. Not for one second. I would find another doctor.
And the interesting thing is, this is only my health. Just me. Yes, it is important, but not nearly as important as the future of America. And you know why? Because my health is my health, but America is the future of my children, and grandchildren. It’s simply more important.
So, if I wouldn’t hire such a doctor in this situation, why would I vote for a similar choice as president of the United States?
So I understand your anger and concerns. You are right. I understand your reticence about Hillary Clinton, and again you are right. But I am sorry. If you really think about this, Donald Trump is not your answer, either. He is chasing the need for change off a cliff. Voting for him is like changing doctors to a charlatan who will only end up killing the patient. He is, quite simply, a reckless choice, simply to get change.
So what do we do?
Well, we are lucky. We are not just a two-party system. You want to send a signal to Washington? Well, nothing would shake it up more than to put a third-party candidate in the White House. Take a look at Gary Johnson and the Libertarian Party. He has experience, but he, too, grew disillusioned and has taken a different path now. The positions and policies of the Libertarian Party probably better reflect the ideals of America than either Democrats or Republicans. Take a minute to review their positions at http://www.lp.org/platform. At its core, the Libertarian Party is all about less government. Self-determination. The foundations America was built on.
So, my dear Trump supporters, we are not at all different. We are both citizens of this great nation and we both love our country. We both want change. We both seek to send a clear signal to a dysfunctional Washington. We both distrust Hillary Clinton.
I am going to do something I have never done in every Presidential election I have participated in since 1984. I am going to vote for a third-party candidate. I am going to vote Libertarian. And I invite you to think this through, and give it your consideration.
Thank you for listening and for your patriotism. Remember, true unity is realizing there are no Democrats and no Republicans. There are only Americans. And we are all in this together.