A Reasoned Argument

In 2000, I decided to run for local public office. I knew that if I was elected, it would have an impact on my family; I knew they would be subject to greater scrutiny, and I also knew there would be numerous times I would not be able to be with them--evenings, weekends...

I also knew I had to be prepared for questions on specific issues. I knew there would be a public forum, but I also knew that, as I went door-to-door, I would have to answer questions from voters--if I wanted to be elected, I had to be familiar with the problems in our local community. So, I did some reading, and since this was the early days of the internet, I did as much research as I could on-line. I read the local newspaper, and I listened. Wow, did I listen. Our local community is informed, and the voters have opinions. If they asked me a question I could not answer, I wrote it down, and did more research. I also talked to people who were already working for local government; it was good to have a relationship with these people, should I be elected, but it was also good to get their perspective.

Having done all this, I thought I was ready. I thought I knew all there was to know about the office I was running for.

And then I got elected. By forty-three votes.

And I realized, quickly, there was so much more I needed to learn. About my new local office. About budgets, and cash flow, policies and procedures.

So, I dedicated myself to reading everything that was put in front of me. Reading and re-reading it. Jotting down questions. I also signed up for every workshop and conference I could. And, I found out there are some wonderful people who are dedicated to making sure every local public official is as informed as they possibly can be; they want public office holders to be professional and law-abiding.

I loved my job. I loved being able to help people. I loved talking about the issues, and voting the way I thought my constituents wanted me to. I think I did a good job. In the end, it was not enough, and I was voted out four years later. I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

I tell you this story, because I have some fundamental issues with the GOP candidate, running for president, this year.

Please don't stop reading.

The reason I am writing this is because I want you, educated voter, to consider what I am saying before you cast your ballot.

Please.

I have heard many, many people say they are voting for Trump because, "He's not the same old, establishment candidate." I have also heard people say, "Trump is a great businessman--I have watched his show. He'll be good at creating jobs, and re-negotiating trade deals. He will make our country great again."

First of all, there is a real difference between someone who is "establishment" and someone who has never, ever had a job in government. You might want a "breath of fresh air" in a public office, but it is absolutely irresponsible to vote for someone with NO experience, let alone thinking that the future president of the United States should be such a person. For instance, when I was serving locally, I was responsible for overseeing FIVE budgets. It took me a good six months to grasp what each budget financed, and another six months to remember what I learned. Fortunately, I had six other Board members who could help me as I learned. My vote, my power, was just one of six. I had a cushion for mistakes I might make. The POTUS has no such cushion. He or she needs to be well-versed in policy, laws, and proper channels. If you are elected to city council, or Congress, you get some "on-the-job training" about governmental powers and limits; you are automatically placed in a position where you gain some understanding about separation of powers and how an idea gets funded by a government entity. If you vote for Trump, you are basically voting for someone who has as much governmental experience as you do (assuming, of course, you have never been elected or appointed to office). Is that a scary thought? It should be.
Running a country, state, or city is nothing like running a business. If you are the head of a business, you make decisions based on what is good for you, and for your bottom line. You don't necessarily have to discuss your options with anyone else, nor do you have to necessarily even consider historical trends or future speculations. Once the decision is made, it's over--implemented and making money for you the very next minute. Running a country? It must be like herding cats. First of all, and contrary to what the GOP candidate is telling us, trade deals are negotiated and then have to be approved by Congress. So, you have to have a good working relationship with those elected officials, so they will approve the deal you've worked on. It would be really, really good for the GOP candidate to stop calling people running for Congress "stupid" and "losers". For if elected, he will have to get laws passed by THEM. If you are POTUS, you also have to read, and retain, a vast amount of material. You need to know what is happening in California (wildfires), what's happening in Iraq (we have troops there), what is happening in Podunk City, AnyState (mayors there are threatening to secede from the US). For each situation, you have to know facts, history, and history. You have to know what has worked in the past, who their allies and enemies are, and the historical context for what is going on now.  Finally, you have to think about the impact your decision will have on the lives of others. From what I've heard, and what I have seen, the GOP candidate for POTUS is absolutely incapable of listening to, and retaining information from, anyone else. It's a fact that he has said, "I will take care of __________ for you." No mention of who he will work with, no mention of anyone he will take advice from. This frightens me more than anything else--that a good percentage of my fellow countryman are willing to place their future, and the future of their children, all in the hands of one man. One man, who has never once said he would consider anyone else when making any decision, any time. One man, who seems to be unaware that there are three branches of government, each with their own power (and limitations).

Please, before you vote this year, take some time to think. Turn off the television, shut down the computer, and think. Think about the future. Think about the rest of us--your parents, your children, your friends, and the rest of the world. You should be voting for the best possible person to be the head of this country--the smartest, the most empathetic, the person who will do the best job for us, and the person who will inspire the rest of us to do our best. A person who can get people--all people--to work together. A person who will help us have a better future; one we can all be proud of. Then, and only then, go vote.

My Mom Would Have Voted for Hillary

If the button, pictured above, is any indication, my mom had been a Hillary supporter for a long time. Had she been physically able, I know she would have stuck around so she could cast her vote in November for Hillary Clinton. Proudly and without reservation. If she knew you, she would be disappointed if you didn't do the same.
I think my mom admired Hillary's stubbornness and ability to survive all that life threw at her. My mom was one of those women too--no matter what you had to endure, when morning came, you got up and went to work...again. My mom wanted to be a nurse, but life made other plans for her, just as life made other plans for Hillary Clinton. Too often, when we lose a job, fail to be promoted, or just are flat-out denied (because we're women, or not the right color, or are not strong enough, or just don't look right), we become bitter and give up on whatever dream or goal we have. It is so much easier to give up than to dig in and work harder. My mom did not have that luxury--she had children to feed, rent to pay, and medical bills. Hillary Clinton just decided not to take "no" for an answer. Hillary Clinton has a vision for a better world, and has decided the way to achieve her goals is by being president of the United States. My mom appreciated that.
My mom grew up in a world where men made the rules, men had all the jobs (oh yes, you could have a job, for pay, but many times that job or that pay increase was tied to how much access your boss had to your body--we call it sexual harassment or sexual assault, but my mom called it Tuesday at the car dealership). In her world, men had access to better education, and men controlled women's bodies (if you absolutely desperate, there were back alley abortions available, but those were dangerous and you could end up paying with your own life) and reproductive rights. In her lifetime, my mom hoped for a better world for her children and grandchildren, and she also saw great achievements for women (and men). She also witnessed the GOP begin to chip away at reproductive rights, and she lived long enough to hear a man, running for the highest office in our nation, refer to women as "pigs".  I'm sure she felt like she was right back in the 1950's, and probably was afraid for her daughters, granddaughters, and great-granddaughters. I wonder if she felt anger too, and I wonder if that would have made her even more determined to vote for Hillary Clinton for president? The alternative would have been unthinkable for her; possibly even a nightmare.
My mom had a lot of common sense; she was a pretty good judge of character, and embodied the Golden Rule. She was a good Christian; she walked the walk. My mom was not stupid, and after raising seven children, it was not easy to "pull the wool" over her eyes. After all that was said, and written, about Hillary Clinton, my mom was still willing to vote for her. My mom would never have voted for a liar or a cheat, a "murderer" or someone who broke the law. She would be appalled that someone who said NOT paying taxes "made him smart" wanted her to vote for him! She obeyed the law, paid her share, and expected others to do the same (Unless something was unjust. Then she was proud if you protested or wrote Letters to the Editor). And, she would also know, from experience, that some people would say, and do, anything to keep a woman from achieving great things. She knew there was nothing a woman couldn't do, if she was given the opportunity.
My mom also knew that big jobs get done when everyone works together (Oh my goodness, I remember those Saturdays when every room was cleaned and the laundry was done AND folded before anyone went anywhere!). She would never have trusted a man who said, "I will do it for you. I alone will make America great again." She would have known, no matter how successful he appeared to be, that he could not fulfill that promise. She would have seen his "true colors"; she would have seen a man who never did any charity work, that apparently never donated much money to others, and who therefore was not a good man. My mom once gave someone the coat she was wearing because, "They needed it." I know she would look at the GOP candidate and see a very selfish man. Indeed, that would have strengthened her commitment to Hillary Clinton, who has devoted her life to helping others.
I ask you to join me in honoring my mother in November. I ask you to join me in honoring all those women who have gone before us. I ask you to join me in voting for Hillary Clinton.