Tuesday, December 8, 2015

What do we want?

I'm not a cynic. I take public figures seriously, including the words they utter. The people attracted to Donald Trump are charged up, their numbers are growing, and they seem to endorse his exclusionary approach to and negative characterization of segments of humanity -- immigrants from the south of the U.S., a war hero (John McCain) who spent time in a prison of our enemy during the Vietnam war, a reporter with a disability (Serge Kovaleski), and all foreign Muslims. Every time he adds a person or group to those who should be excluded, ridiculed, or dismissed he gets free media attention. His latest pronouncement – excluding anyone who is a Muslim from the U.S. -- was no exception. Thank heaven this pronouncement has been summarily denounced by many people within and outside of the Republican Party. I hope these denouncements begin to wither Trump's poll numbers.

The U.S. became a great nation because it welcomed people from across the globe. The U.S. remains a great nation because it respects individual freedom and free speech. The U.S. Constitution, if put up against Donald Trump's rhetoric, should cause his supporters to hit the pause button and look at alternative presidential candidates.

The only way that Donald Trump would succeed, if elected president, would be if he declared a dictatorship. Principles on which this country was founded and the laws which govern us would not permit him to do things that he says he would do if elected president. I think it is time that we, including the media, shift our attention away from Donald Trump, to people with government-related executive experience and sound judgement. Donald Trump has generated two things -- great enthusiasm among his supporters and shock and horror from the rest of us. Yes, we have been entertained. Yes, we have been amazed. But now it is time to get serious and make the choice for whom we are going to work. Now is the time to decide who we want as our next president. Yes, a president, elected by the people and guided by our Constitution and laws, not a celebrity who would be very comfortable transforming the U.S. into a dictatorship -- a reality show replicating the rawness of the Apprentice. We don't want that, do we?

Thank you.
Common Grounder