President Needs to Behave
To the Editor:
Ms. Hooper asked why anyone would not vote for Trump in the last two elections. While everyone has their own reasons, I will explain mine. First, a little background.
My ancestors came to America as early as 1630 and fought in the Revolutionary War. My father was a WWII veteran. I am not a communist or socialist. I love my country. I have worked in the private and public sectors and owned businesses. I have never been on welfare.
I grew up in a Christian household and try to live as Jesus instructed by turning the other cheek, treating others as I wish to be treated, forgiving others of their trespasses, and loving others as Jesus loves me. My personal mantra is to treat everyone with dignity and respect even if they disagree with me.
My parents instilled in me a strong sense of ethics and taught me to obey the rules. I pay my taxes, do charitable work, and wear my seat belt. I try to be truthful and not speed. I own guns and believe in vaccines.
I have never voted a straight party ticket and never will. I review the candidates’ value systems and qualifications to determine whether they will receive my vote. In the past, I have voted for both Republican and Democratic presidents.
I believe in the Constitution, especially the separation of powers and freedom of religion and speech.
When given a choice between Kamala Harris or Joe Biden and Donald Trump, I did not choose Trump because the other candidates more closely aligned with my value system.
I have listened to President Trump demean the disabled, legal immigrants, illegal immigrants, persons of color, and women. He is demonizing the LBGTQ+ community. I have friends who are gay and bisexual. I have met and interacted with three individuals I know to be transsexual. All these individuals have the same wants and needs as the rest of us – they desire to live freely and pursue happiness.
The Trump administration is working to ensure this does not happen for others who are different than he is, and I do not understand it. This is not what Jesus would do. Additionally, he has vowed retribution to those whom he feels wronged him.
Yes, I want to cut down on fraud, waste, and abuse. The question is how to go about it. A scalpel rather than a meat cleaver is preferable. I believe Mr. Musk has too many conflicts of interest. He is cutting the budget while benefitting from billions of dollars in contracts and government aid. He should recuse himself.
The fact that the IRS is being slashed puzzles me. The Budget Lab at Yale University echoes what other studies have concluded. They found that the IRS brings in more money than it costs to run audits when focusing on high-income individuals and corporations who fail to pay their fair share of taxes.
The improved enforcement would help with the budget deficits. Trump’s tacit approval and Musk’s participation in slashing the agency gives the appearance that they are more interested in keeping themselves and their rich friends from being forced to pay their fair share of taxes than decreasing the federal deficit.
If the president feels USAID and other agencies are not needed, he should follow the law and approach Congress to abolish them. Instead, he has chosen to disobey the rules set up by our founding fathers.
Then, frankly, I have heard Trump tell so many untruths it makes my head spin. While I know Biden and Harris have said things that are not true, Trump’s quantity of untruthful statements is staggering. I will mention one I heard with my own ears straight from his mouth during the campaign in August 2024.
Trump blamed Harris for passing legislation in California that made it OK to steal. In fact, he said, as long as you steal less than $950, you will not be charged with a crime. He claimed thieves took calculators to robberies so they would not get charged.
If this were true, no businesses would operate there. Why does he say things like this? I lost confidence that he would be truthful regarding matters of national importance. He recently reinforced this notion when he claimed that Ukraine started the war with Russia. I watched live news reports showing lines of Russian tanks rolling near the Ukrainian capital and know this is not true.
To me, it is not asking too much for a President of the United States of America to treat others with dignity and respect, follow the law, and behave ethically.
Lastly, you stated that you suspect Democrats have not answered the above question because they have not done anything for America and Americans that they want to acknowledge. Again, speaking for myself only, this is not the case. I did not previously respond because I felt doing so would result in me being harassed and intimidated because of my viewpoints.
I am happy to meet with you to explain what I have done and continue to do for Americans and America. You may just find we are more alike than different.
Marie W. Watts Muldoon