To the Editor,
Learning gun safety and marksmanship from a Marine Vietnam veteran prepared me to qualify for the Concealed Handgun License. This veteran recently advised me that, upon hearing the vitriolic propaganda from National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), he tore up his NRA membership card. I also heard the NRA leadership’s spiteful speeches and view these organizations as aggrandizing blind nationalism and inciting divisiveness through misinformation, hate and fear. Unsurprisingly, Donald Trump also spoke at CPAC. I will not witness discordant rhetoric without speaking out as a concerned citizen.
I am not a fear-monger, but these are worrisome times. Trump’s puerile threats against North Korea and Iran, his demeaning of Mexicans, Muslims and other minorities, and his persistent reluctance to protect America against verified Russian interference in our election system should concern us. His observable ineptness is worsened by his erratic and vindictive behavior. He speaks spontaneously without thinking, unhesitatingly repudiating without evidence. Averse to truth, he loudly denounces professional journalism as “fake news” and rebuffs “political correctness”. Yet his senselessness endears him to his base.
Unbelievably, his sycophants perceive Trump to be authentic when he is blatantly the opposite. His followers feel he says things they have long felt but feared to say aloud. He stirs up fallacious conspiracy theories. Easily angered, Trump exhibits a reckless retaliation that appeals to his followers who feel powerless and oppressed by the economic system and societal changes they believe deny fulfillment of their dreams. Trump’s publicly absurd conduct demonstrates his insincerity about the wellbeing of truly powerless Americans.
Many rational citizens and foreigners view Trump’s impulsive vengeful attacks on those who challenge him as boorish and lacking empathy. Blind to historical fact and the national economy, he also doesn’t value diplomatic tact; unfamiliar perspectives displease him. He brazenly and continuously lies. He stated he knew “more than the generals”, this from someone who shirked military service through five deferments due to “bone spurs”. He fails to appreciate complex and critical government matters, not giving any thought to national safety or global environment. Trump constantly brags of his abilities and ridicules others, evincing deep insecurity. He feels it necessary to prop up his obviously insupportable self image and constantly displays a deep inability to acknowledge what he doesn’t know. Observation makes me think his personality impedes reliable judgment, that if his brashness is not curtailed, Trump presents a real national danger. In my opinion, Trump lacks the capacity to deal thoughtfully and reliably with the complexities and responsibilities of a president or commander-in-chief.
History may not necessarily repeat itself, but it offers lessons for the preservation of a just government.
Peace to all, harm to none.
Carlos Valle, Jr.
Professor of Urban Studies, History and Radiologic Science (Retired)
carlosvallejr@yahoo.com
