Today, as we get close to the 2016 Presidential election, I feel that I must bring a few things to the attention of my Republican friends who say they are definitely going to vote for Mr. Trump. Of course, in America, you may vote for anyone you want to vote for. However, I would like you to consider the following before you do vote. It probably won't make you change your mind, but it will make me feel good for letting you know how I feel.
To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln (the first Republican President.. and in my opinion, the greatest President we have ever had:
"We are engaged in a great Presidential election, testing whether this Nation can long endure, with a leader who engages feelings of hatred, or with a leader whose purpose is a loving environment for all people."
Today, I want to talk about four things:
1. A seminar on dementia that I attended yesterday.
2. Some comments from German friends in the 1950's.
3. Drug testing the candidates.
4. Two articles from today's New York Times.
And afterwards, I want to submit a gallery of Presidents.
1. Dementia Seminar
Yesterday, I learned that there are four types of dementia. One does not have to be "ancient" to have dementia. It could also occur because of other reasons, such as head injuries and strokes.
Alzheimer's Disease - 47-60% of dementia cases
Lewy Body Dementia - 15-25% of dementia cases
Vascular Dementia - 23% or less of dementia cases
Frontotemporal Dementia - 15% of dementia cases
Frontotemporal Dementia can be compared to the way your teenager acts before his or her prefrontal cortex control center kicks in at about 26 to 28 years old. Some of the symptoms are:
Inappropriate social behavior.
Hypersexuality
Lack of concern for others
Compulsive behavior
At the seminar, when these frontotemporal dementia symptoms were mentioned, a loud voice from the back said: "Just like Mr. Trump!"
2. Comments from German Friends
I spent almost four years in the Air Force in Germany during the 1950's.. shortly after the end of World War II.. The type of work I did allowed me to travel around a bit and I made some German friends in Koeln (Cologne, Germany). We talked a lot and I asked a lot of questions... they even accused me of being an undercover agent... but they said it in a nice way.
One guy, who had been a sergeant in the German Army in WWII said that he never did think much about his superior officers. He just followed orders, like all Germans did at that time. He said that he and his fellow soldiers would mock "Der Fuehrer," until someone would turn them in and they would be in trouble.
One lady said that her friends and relatives all thought that Hitler was a clown and would never become Chancellor.. But they did like his loud voice proclaiming that "he would make Germany great again!" He was a superb con-man and certainly led them into surefire destruction..
My German friends did not like to talk about the war years, but hoped that they never would have to go through it again. They were lucky to have survived and have been under the control of us Americans rather that the Russians. (At least, that's what they told me.)
Remember... whoever wins this election will have more power in the United States and in the World than Hitler ever had.
While I was in Germany, there was an election and some right wing folks were running against the Social Democrats and they were looking back on Hitler days as "halcyon days." The SD folks published a marvelous poster showing a picture of the ruins during World War II... and the words under the picture were "hast du vergessen?" (Have you forgotten?) That poster worked and the SD folks won. (Where is such a poster today, when we need it?)
3. Drug testing the Candidates
Mr. Trump has just suggested that the Presidential candidates should be tested for drugs, because of what he says must be Hillary's health problems. Wait a minute! Who was sniffling all through the two debates... it wasn't the microphone as Mr. Trump insisted. One way of getting people to forget about those sniffles might be to suggest drug testing, knowing that it would never take place. Another diversionary tactic?
4. New York Times articles today (October 16, 2016)
You have to read these great articles from that so-called "dying paper" .. the New York Times.
a. The Grace of George H. W. Bush "opinion piece" by Jon Meacham.
Thankfully, IMHO, George H. W. Bush declined to select Donald J. Trump as his running mate in 1988, although Mr. Trump was willing.
I'm not going to quote the article.. the gist of it is printed as a sidebar: "The quarter-century journey from Bush to Trump disproves Darwin."
b. If Hillary Clinton Groped Men by Nicholas Kristof.
Mr. Kristof asks if there is a double standard for women in politics. He then asks us to "imagine" about thirty things as being done or said by Hillary Clinton instead of Mr. Trump. For instance: and I quote:
"Imagine if she had said about a man running against her in the primaries: 'Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that?'"
"Imagine if Clinton had body shamed Donald Trump, saying that she had observed his rear end and concluded, "I'm not impressed, believe me.'"
These two examples are two of the more polite "imagines" in Nicholas' fantastic article.
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Does a Republican who votes for Mr. Trump after listening to his "rants," innuendos, and fact-checked falsehoods vote for him because he is the Party's nominee ... putting party above nation? IMHO, I think so. Please, vote only after thinking... maybe Hillary is not the one you would like in the White House.. there are other candidates.. and, you can write in a person in some States. My grandfather always got write in votes each election in Massachusetts.
Honestly... do you want to wake up in 2017 and see a "Trump House?"
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Gallery of Presidents
And could it be?
ENOUGH!!!
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