Letter to My Grandsons About the Election

Dear Grandsons,

We have just a few days until the presidential election, and this might be the most important in almost 250 years of American history. Here's why I say that—and please follow the links that I include to the various sources for what I say here.

We have two major candidates with two very different views of our country's past, present, and future, as well as very different positions on the issues.  One tells us how screwed up we are as a country, and how weak we are, and how our country is broken, dysfunctional.  He says our country is a "crime-ridden mess," even though crime continues to drop in most American cities. In 2023, violent crime was at a 50-year low.  

Trump's been telling us for 10 years to fear immigrants as criminals, murderers, and rapists, even though the facts tell us that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than American citizens.  To make them scary, different and, therefore, less equal than the rest of us, he falsely claims that immigrants are eating our dogs and cats and even the geese in the park.  

He says that our economy is in shambles and on the brink of collapse, even though the stock markets continue to set records almost every day, and even though unemployment is the lowest in over 50 years, workers' wages are up, and American business is booming.  Yes, prices are still too high, but inflation is way down compared to where it's been.

By the way, twenty-three Nobel-winning economists agree that Harris's economic plan will be much better for Americans than Trump's.  

Trump even tells us that our system of government is rotten (it isn't), that our elections are rigged (they're not), and that anyone who opposes him politically is a dangerous "radical left lunatic" who should be subject to military control. That would include your grandfather and your mother, as well.

The truth is our constitutional system of government and our elections are the envy of the world, even though many world leaders fear that another Trump presidency could ruin all that and bring disaster to stability in Europe.

In order to trigger the most basic fear among men, whether the fear is acknowledged or not, he tells a stupendous lie about boys who go to school in the morning and come home as girls in the afternoon after their sex change operation in, where, the school nurse's office?

“Can you imagine you’re a parent and your son leaves the house and you say, ‘Jimmy, I love you so much, go have a good day in school,’ and your son comes back with a brutal operation? Can you even imagine this? What the hell is wrong with our country?” Trump said Saturday [September 7] at a campaign rally in Wisconsin, a vital swing state. 

So what will fix all of the vast imaginary mess and all the American weaknesses that infest Donald Trump's imagination? What will it take?  

Well, according to Trump, you certainly would not choose the other candidate who is, after all, a woman and, therefore, weak.  Hey, she doesn't even have penis. Trump constantly insults Kamala Harris as “dumb, weak, and crazy.” He calls her a “radical left lunatic," and we know how Trump believes these people are to be controlled. 

And because of her commitment to obeying the law, even the law regarding treatment of transgender federal prisoners, a law that Trump obeyed, too, when he was President, the Trump campaign has spent tens of million$ on ads during football games in an attempt to trigger every man’s seedlings of castration anxiety and to convince men, young and old, alike, that Kamala Harris is a looming threat to their manhood. Watch out, boys, she's out to cut it off!!!

They think you're that stupid.

In case anyone missed his point, he praises Arnold Palmer during public rallies, no less, as "all-man" because of the alleged size of his penis. Get it? For Trump, penis size defines masculinity, and any threat to it is a threat to your identity.  So listen up, dudes, run to your polling place, cast your vote for Trump, and save your penis before it's too late.

For Trump men, you must certainly, then, choose a strong man who will honor and protect your manhood above all, and the manhood of your children if you have them, a man one who wants very much to be, not only a strong man, but also a “strongman.” 

Now the dictionary defines “strongman” as "a political leader who controls by force; dictator.” Another dictionary defines a strongman as "a politician or leader who uses violence or threats."

For some who lack a sense of security, there may be comfort in being on the side of the “strongman,” as long as the strongman stays in power, of course.  Because the “strongman," or dictator, uses the force of the police and the military to carry out his agenda and stay in power, the dictator’s followers can know they will be protected from arrest as long as they follow the dictates of the dictator. See North Korea or Russia, for instance, where murderous dictators, Kim and Putin, stage elections where they or their hand-picked  candidates receive from 90 to 99 percent of the vote, and where hundreds of thousands march like robots and salute the "dear Leader.”

This week Donald Trump’s former Chief of Staff and four-star general, John Kelly, shared with the world that Trump clearly fits the definition of a “fascist.”  A fascist supports an "autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, and that is characterized by severe economic and social regimentation and by forcible suppression of opposition.”

Dozens of other former officials appointed by Trump have come forward, too, to say that Trump is unfit to serve. I hope you read some of what they have to say.

Your decision, guys, to register to vote in this election makes me smile, for your actions tell me that you care about participating in the greatest democratic experiment in the history of the world. Because you are voting, you and millions of other young and older people, alike, will determine what life in our country will be like for years to come.  

Your voice is your vote. I hope that when you go vote in just a few days from now that you will choose to make sure that your voice will continue to be heard in the next presidential election.  Otherwise, it might not.