Republican Party has lost its values and moral footing

To The Daily Sun,

I am saddened that I feel compelled to write encouraging people to vote against the president of the United States. While I could be placed in the camp of ‘Never Trump’, I now feel that Trump is a threat and danger to our country. As a registered Independent who has voted Republican the vast majority of the time, I am saddened to see what Trump has done to the Republican Party. I am afraid it will be many years before the party will be able to regain its moral footing and return to its core values –fiscal responsibility, smaller government, improved and open trade, etc. I have always felt Trump was a lot of sizzle and very little steak or substance. Although I cannot say that his administration has not accomplished anything, the negatives far outweigh the positives. Things certainly do not seem to be better with his signature issue of immigration reform. There has been no move toward needed comprehensive immigration reform, and most of his policy changes have resulted in actions that go against the historic values of our country. Like most of his actions, they seem to embody the antithesis of the Christian values Trump claims. His life seems to be a contradiction of all the ‘Beatitudes’, and he has replaced the torch on the Statue of Liberty with a single finger. Trump’s attitude and arrogance have alienated many of our friends and allies around the world. There might come a time we need them. His policy on health care has been like his on most other issues. He has tried to tear down the existing structure, but has offered no replacement other than the empty words he used in his first campaign promising a ‘beautiful new health care plan’ –just more sizzle.

As poorly as I think Trump has governed, it is what he has done to the country that makes it important to not give him another 4 years. He has divided our country like no one else in memory. At a time racial strife has been on the rise, Trump has fanned the flames rather than tried to bring people together. He has shown disdain for the institutions and traditions of American democracy and government. As a Vietnam combat veteran, I have no problem that Trump got a medical deferment. Many people wrestled with how to deal with that unpopular and ugly war. I cannot accept his disparaging remarks about men who did fight, but who were captured, wounded, or killed. He has honored men who killed and tortured civilians and enemy captives. I am not excited about the changes that are likely to come as the country cleans up some of the mess and damage Trump has done, and addresses the issues he has ignored. However 4 more years of Trump are likely to cleave the country much further, and lead to more polarization, discord, and chaos. The antidote then will likely be much worse, and a backlash to the other extreme.

Tom Crane

Meredith