Dissent is patriotic and no, I am not a communist

To The Daily Sun,

"Dissent is Patriotic." Without dissent, the American Revolution would never have taken place. Instead we could be run by dictators such as Donald Trump. Regretfully, Mr. Gennaro's letter of Feb. 27 is completely fake news and full of misconceptions.

One: I do call Donald Trump a traitor and maintain that position, as many more feel the same way than the numbers of his base. He has violated the oath of office. He is racist. He is a bigot. Many who read my letters know how I feel about bigots. His cozying up to Putin, the head of the communist state in Russia makes Mr. Trump both a traitor and if one really wants the truth; a communist. He calls Kim Jong Un a "nice person" despite the atrocities he commits in his own country, despite the deal Mr. Trump could not get.

Two: I do not believe in communism, nor am I one. I consider myself a patriot, a strict constitutionalist. Mr. Trump has been undermining this most successful document in human history of civilization. His attacks on the press, reprehensible. My facts are true, and come from much research, along with an extensive college minor in history and legal affairs. In addition, yes I am a "liberal" within the strict definition of the base of the word libre, which means learned, well read, and open minded. It may surprise Mr. Gennaro that I even take his words in consideration. However, unlike many Republicans and Democrats, I am concerned about their misuse of the words liberal and conservative. Both parties use these words incorrectly.

True patriotism is keeping an open mind to the trend of current events. One can even understand why Mr. Trump got elected. But not per his own personae per se, rather the American people have had enough of Washington not listening to them. It is quite obvious that Mr. Trump is not listening either. He attacks the world order established by previous Presidents to him. He attacks our Constitution. He attacks all races, religious groups (including Christianity, no less), and goes against the grain to protect our health, safety, and welfare. This makes Mr. Trump a traitor.

My community involvement locally as well as with the state further exemplifies my dedication to serving our community, state, and country. Due to a hearing impairment, as well as having cancer, I soldier on, not so much for me, but all whom I meet. This includes Mr. Gennaro. I could not serve my country in the military due to the hearing, as well as my height (when hearing aids are off, I hear nothing.) So I looked for other ways to serve. Lifelong, due to memberships in multiple service organizations, Fire and EMS, concurrently my activities today, I have served. My support for our veterans has never been challenged. The vets have been sorely mistreated, both in peace and in war. It is my contention, we are all in this together. Everyone of us.

Being patriotic is a responsibility I cherish. I try hard to embrace the various writers to this paper. While some of us do not agree, that does not make us any less patriotic. It is hoped Mr. Gennaro will understand this. No, I am not a communist. I am an American, a natural born U.S. Citizen, and proud of this country and state I live in. I am a patriot.

Bob Joseph, Jr.

New Hampton.