A bonus essay this week. A friend wrote this and I felt it was a proper voice to host going into Election Day. I know her to be a fair and reasonable person and I support her work. I’d like to encourage you to share your thoughts with her in the comments. Now, if you don’t happen to agree with Betsy, that’s fine, but please remember to be civil. Any hate or self-serving indignation or whining will earn a big ol’ delete. Without further ado . . . here’s Betsy
Mr. Trump and Me
We’re not on the same page—Mr. Trump and me—about the meaning and value of democracy. I view it as a non-profit organization that is intended to benefit its constituents. His words and actions suggest he views it as a for-profit organization intended to benefit him.
I believe democracy needs informed voters, and informed voters need access to a free press to learn facts to base their decisions on. Mr. Trump condemns free press, calling it “fake news.” He only wants press that compliments him; facts be damned!
I value having a two-party system because each side presents their best ideas, and then they compromise for a solution. I believe that compromise offers us the best of multiple options. Mr. Trump suggests compromise is for “suckers and losers.”
I believe in a democracy where the president works with his staff to benefit us, his constituents. Mr. Trump apparently prefers to align with “friends,” as he did when siding with Putin over his own intelligence agencies in Helsinki at the beginning of his time in office.
Another facet of constitutional democracy that I value is the peaceful transfer of power when an elected official’s term is over. Mr. Trump obviously doesn’t agree with that, as he never has acknowledged that his term is over. Perhaps if he paid more attention to the news he disparages, he might have learned that his term actually is over.
And that should be the end of his term and the end of the story, but wait! There’s more. More than a year after Mr. Trump’s reluctant departure from the White House, we learn that once again he ignored the rules and traditions of democracy by taking home many boxes of presidential documents, some of which were reportedly highly classified. After some were legally and peacefully removed from his home, he complained that the “mean” government people invaded his home and took “his” documents. Apparently, he hasn’t read the Presidential Records Act, which clearly states that the documents belong to the people, not the president.
I believe that in a democracy the rules apply to everyone equally. Mr. Trump’s disregard for the rules suggests that he thinks the rules don’t apply to him. Does he believe he is above the law, or is it that he believes he is the law? That’s my definition of a dictator, the opposite of a democratic leader, and that’s why Mr. Trump and I are not on the same page.
Betsy Tee
He who must not be blamed...the one always pointing a finger ,un aware that three are pointing back at the perpe-traitor. Everything he slings gets his own self muddied. when will he fall?now he has declared he will come back and steal democracy.its either death or taxes--- like Al capone ? I dont like to judge anyone harshly, but wish for relief from his assault on humanity.
Well said!