To the Editor:
Stephen King wrote a book that was made into a movie last year. “It” is about pure evil that surfaces from the sewers occasionally to feed on children.
Mr. King is a master of horror, not only because he writes fiction, but because his fiction parallels reality. He chose a clown (Pennywise) to be the face of that evil.
So with all due respect to Stephen King — Donald Trump rode a gilded escalator down to his lobby, where he declared his candidacy for the presidency of the United States. In his opening statement, he claimed that the Mexicans were sending rapists, drug smugglers, and murderers to our country. Deep in the heartland of America, “It” stirred from its long slumber.
Throughout the summer and fall of 2016, then–candidate Donald Trump encouraged his supporters to “beat the crap” out of protestors; he derided the free press, accusing them of spreading fake news; he stoked the racial fears and biases that fuel the hatred we as a civil
society have been trying to tamp down for millennia. He relentlessly attacked and berated anyone who contradicted him or pointed out the truth. In short, he is the bully on the playground in many of Mr. King’s books. Pennywise climbed out of the sewer and came into our society.
We saw “It’s” influence in Charlottesville, S.C. where racists were emboldened to openly walk in the streets with their Nazi flags, chanting racist slogans, and, ultimately, murdering a woman protesting the atrocities of racist values. We see “It” today, when the Trump Administration rips the children of destitute and desperate parents seeking refuge and a better life in “the North” from their parents.
Thousands of children currently live in the desert in tent cities, not knowing when, if ever, they will see their parents again. They receive no schooling, no freedom, and no parental love. Parents weep at the prospect of never seeing their children again. This in the country that holds forth the value that “all men are created equal,” and is supposedly the beacon of liberty.
One of the most iconic symbols of freedom and inclusiveness in the world offers these words: “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
And now, we are on the verge of allowing the Trump administration to double down on its callous indifference to constitutional protections.
For a short time last week, we watched as Christine Blasey Ford courageously stood up before a congressional committee and hundreds of millions of people and told her very personal story. She was terrified. She answered every question posed — honestly and convincingly. She held it together. We had some hope for about a half-hour.
And then Brett Kavanaugh came out proclaiming himself the victim — snarling, sniffling, crying at his perceived loss of white privilege, attacking and berating senators who dared asked questions about his past. He even challenged a female senator about her use of alcohol
while refusing to answer her questions about his alcohol abuse. It was misogyny on full display.
He repeatedly lied to Congress — “boofing” is not flatulence, a “devil’s triangle” is not a drinking game, and he drank to excess in high school and college. He even lied about the legal drinking age at the time. I don’t really care if he drank when he was underage, but I do care that he lied about the severity of his drinking to Congress.
But 11 white men pushed their candidate forward — they have an agenda, after all. Outside the hearing room, people were arrested by the dozen. They chanted “November is coming” while the Capitol Police gently put them in handcuffs. Judge Kavanaugh did get one thing right. The hearing was a national disgrace.
The protesters were also correct — November is coming. Please vote.
Don Keller
Vineyard Haven
My goodness, you lost get over it. You had a lousy candidate with a lousy message. Your party is in disarray and you better get ready for the red wave in November. Never have we seen such a successful president who has honored all his campaign promises. If you don’t like peace and prosperity, jobs for Latinos and African Americans, increasing wages and low unemployment then keep voting for the whiny liberal frauds you so admire.
bs- I am not talking about losing the election– I am talking about unfettered evil.
I thought he was going to show us his taxes if he won.
I like peace and prosperity–
I don’t like kidnapped children being held in prison.
I don’t like federal agents deporting good people to countries they have never been it.
I don’t like the dismantling of decades of environmental protections
I am sick of the republicans bs when it comes to partisan politics.
I am sick of the arrogant, corrupt bully in the white house, and his supporters that have sold the soul and morality of the United States for a few percentage points of gdp.
And I really don’t like the lying.
It has nothing to do with the election.
BS – Trump is a Republican’s idea of a successful businessman. So success at what? The current upward trend in prosperity started one year into the Obama’s administration, likewise jobs for Latinos and People of Color; a downward trend in unemployment traces back to the same time. But Trump claims credit. As for his campaign promises of tax breaks and better wages, how’s your new car? A luxury model this time?
Actually just bought a new car two weeks ago. Not a luxury but definitely an upgrade. Why? Because of the tax cuts. My wife and I work several jobs and the tax cuts are very significant for us. MAGA!!
I’ll respect the anonymity of these forums and won’t ask for proof but I work in banking and I haven’t seen signs of sufficient increases in pay.
Friendly suggestion: Squirrel away extra pay until you see what happens in April. Reputable sources say we won’t be able to deduct as much. Better to have a reserve if your deductions decrease and nothing to lose if they stay the same.
bs— nice you bought a new car— congrats. so about those tax cuts—as far I can tell, a person working full time for $15 an hour got a $ 3 a week tax cut.
You must have bought a really nice car for that– The problem here is that while you got your $150 a year tax break, George Soros got a 150 million dollar a year tax
break. Ok, I know George has to pay all those protestors, so he needs all the breaks he can get. But on the flip side, I find it interesting that the republican controlled congress recently decided we no longer had to have an official approval to raise the debt limit. remember when they were all in a tizzy about Obama spending too much money ? They nearly shut the gov down over it.. And then trump was elected pres, and congress passed a bill that no longer required congress to approve a debt limit– and guess what ? With no congressional oversight, the deficit is soaring—- in a time of prosperity. Please tell me how this is not complete BS , BS
George Soros got a
Good letter, Don. It helps to remember that Trump indeed lost the popular vote. It’s also good to remind ourselves that a minoritity of the Senate, representing less than half the country, are voting for Kavanaugh. And a majority of all Americans are against the admitted ralphing, boofing, ffffff drunk who is about to take a seat on the Supreme Court. This is more how a dictatorship functions. An authoritarian, misogynist pig for a president, who became rich through his daddy and through tax fraud, appeals to only the minority. Real Americans know this.
Popular vote?? Who cares? That’s not how our political system works thank God. Take away NYC and LA County and Trump would have won by over 2 million votes. Do we want two areas of the country that are populated by unhinged moonbats to dictate our future?
If we took away NYC, we wouldn’t have the unhinged moon bat in the White House.
bs–you are correct about the popular vote– it doesn’t matter in a presidential election. So why would the winner of the electoral college vote lie about the actual vote count ? you say I should get over the fact that that trump is president– Ok, I am over that– are you over the fact that trump lost the popular vote, ? Or do you believe the unsubstantiated lie that millions of people voted illegally, all for Hillary?
Trump: Proof that you can fool some of the people all of the time.
The unhinged left is becoming comical.
The right is still looking for a doorway leading to reality. If Trump Land were fiscally beneficial for its residents, they wouldn’t be on-line trying to appear witty.
There are variations but the primary concepts for today’s political/economic discussions are “a rising tide floats all boats” and “I got mine.” The first has been proven to work. The funny thing (not ha-ha) with the second group is its adherents are not happy unless there are jobless who must sleep under bridges; doing well is not enough, someone else must suffer.
If someone is jobless in today’s economy they are jobless by choice. If you have a pulse today you can get a job anywhere.
And you made my case for me.
I’m sorry , I don’t understand. Do you think there are people who can’t get work in our booming economy? That would be ludicrous. My wife and I work several jobs and are reaping the rewards of hard work. If others choose to be layabouts then they must suffer the consequences of their decisions.