Threat to Democracy

I generally don’t like to put politics directly on social media. So I’m posting this on my blog. 

There is a real threat to our democracy. I will say it directly! Electing Donald Trump as President in 2024 could very quickly end this democracy. And I believe that it’s still worth saving. People before us and among us have fought and died for it. 

 

Some points:

• Trump is not a good businessman. Arrogance and narcissism are NOT the characteristics of a good leader. Vulnerability and an understanding of human beings? That’s what makes a true leader. He has stepped on people to achieve wealth and has bragged about it. 
• Trump does not believe in the rule of law. And without that, we become a third-world country, period!
• He fueled an insurrection against the United States. He violated his oath of office. According to the 14th Amendment, he should be disqualified from office. 
• Trump’s words clearly show he is racist. His rhetoric is Hitler-like. He doesn’t believe we are at all equal, and he believes himself to be smarter, better, and more insightful than anyone. In a word, that’s just dangerous!
• There is so much more about him that is too numerous to list here. 

Many of his supporters have no real understanding of how dangerous he is to our freedoms and our place in the world. 

 

Moreover, the fact that so many support him is very bewildering to me! I am scared for future generations. I say this as a moderate Democrat who is not at all happy with the Democratic Party. And I have voted Republican in general elections. 

 

So disagree with me if you want. Unfriend me if you like. But I implore you think of what hangs in the balance if this man gets elected.

Birthday Reflections

1968 was an eventful year in America. Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King were both assassinated, Vietnam war protests were happening, and Andy Warhol was shot in June of that year. I was 13 then, so these significant events were only in the background of my life.

My favorite birthday was in 1968. To that point, I never had a brand-new bike. Money was tight, so my dad and I would acquire old bicycles which we would then refurbish. We had a party a Conte’s Bar on Birch Street for my sister’s graduation from Scranton Tech, and were celebrating my birthday at the same time. I expected small gifts but certainly not a new bike.

My mom and dad led me to the front room and there sat my new 20” bike with a banana seat and a chrome fork integrated into the steering neck (similar to the picture). It was the bicycle of my dreams! I rode it in the alley next to Conte’s during the party. For the next few years, I rode it constantly and kept the chrome and paint polished. At age 16, cars came into the picture and the bike was worn out.

I have some great memories of birthday’s past, but 1968 stands out. 55 years later, I appreciate the people around me more than anything material.

Funny how time changes perspectives!