As I read the editorial written by Joseph Catrone (Divided We Stand, Divided We Fall), two facts were vividly clear. 1. Mr. Catrone is an articulate writer. 2. Mr. Catrone holds in contempt anyone and everyone who does not share his myopic view of the world.
Catrone asks how it’s possible that Donald Trump could have won the election. Catrone’s explanation takes us down a path to the same conclusion that many liberals arrive: “…Trump received a great deal of support from Americans who hold views that are racist, sexist, homophobic and xenophobic.”
Catrone’s article reminds me of Ronald Reagan’s quote, “It isn’t so much that liberals are ignorant; it’s just that they know so many things that aren’t so.”
Eight years ago, a President was elected that almost half the country did not vote for. Yet there were no riots. In 2008, responsible Conservatives licked their wounds and said, “Like it or not, Obama will be the new President. Let’s give him a chance to lead and hopefully to do good.”
Instead, we endured eight years of thousands of new regulations that have essentially held back the economy and have been a headwind to all small and mid-sized business owners. These same regulations (such as Dodd-Frank and Obamacare) that have not protected consumers, but have hugely increased the costs to businesses, the federal budget and the federal deficit, all while harming the very consumers they were supposed to protect. And a President who has not brought hope and change, but has been the most divisive President in my memory.
Trump voters are not racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, or any of the other names we are being called. Let’s all admit there are lunatics on the fringes of both the left and right. And yet, after days of riots and violence, where was Obama who should have been calling for calm and unity?
The majority of Trump voters simply want liberty and justice for all. They want the opportunity to make a living, build businesses, enjoy their families, and pursue happiness without the government throwing ridiculous and unnecessary roadblocks in their way. They want everyone judged by the same rules and same standards. Republicans believe that everyone should be judged on their merits and by the content of their character instead of receiving special privileges or advantages because of the color of their skin, their ethnicity, their sex, their preference, or lack thereof. For God sake, the United States elected an African American President. Yet we still need special laws protecting African Americans, women, LGBTs, and practically every other group who has ever claimed they were wronged?
Despite the fact that Donald Trump has too often opened his mouth before putting his brain in gear, he happens to be an incredibly intelligent and talented man. I believe he could be a great President, someone who brings common sense back to Washington and returns the American Spirit and American Dream back to Americans who wish to better themselves and create a legacy bigger than themselves.
It is the responsibility of every American to give him that chance. And in four years, if you don’t believe he’s delivered, you all have the right to peacefully voice your opinions at the ballot box.
—Warren Goldberg
