To the editor:
I read with some interest the letter to the editor on July 18, about the Republican platform. The writer asked me to “decide” if the end of democracy is at hand.
- Seal the border and stop the migrant invasion. To which I reply, “The Senate GOP had crafted such a bill with Democratic support earlier this year. It was the first such bill in decades that could have done just that. The Republican nominee railed against it. Why? He wouldn’t then have an issue to rant about.”
- Carry out the largest deportation operation in history. To which I reply, “Who, how, and when?” I suspect they mean illegal migrants. But this country has a history of saying such things. Ask anyone from the Far East of Vietnamese, Japanese, or Chinese origin who are legally here. Italians were considered as such as well. All told to “beat it”.
- End inflation now and make America affordable again. To which I reply, “Sure, couldn’t agree more. The pandemic exasperated the issue. I think back to 1984 when I bought our first house… Inflation too was rampant. My mortgage rate was 17.9%. In contrast to today, I can only support the Fed’s deliberate policy of getting it under control.”
- Make America the dominant energy producer in the world, by far! To which I reply, “Yes, we need to diversify ourselves in all directions.”
- Stop outsourcing and turn the U.S. into a manufacturing superpower. To which I reply, “Yesterday I shopped at Home Depot for a utility knife. There were two brands I compared. One made in the U.S.A. The other Vietnam. The American product cost almost $14. The other $8. And therein lies the conundrum. In our capitalist country, the almighty dollar will win out, whether at the top of a corporate decision or the consumer choosing which one to purchase.”
- Large tax cuts for workers and no tax on tips! To which I reply, “Since the rich got theirs in 2017, sure. Why not? I’ve had to pay more since then. Tips should be income. How that is determined is another matter.”
- Defend our Constitution, our Bill of Rights, and our fundamental freedoms of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to keep and bear arms. To which I reply, “Agreed.”
- Prevent WWII, restore peace in Europe and in the Middle East, and build a great Iron Dome missile-defense shield over our entire country — all made in America. To which I rely, “Without involving American armed forces in conflicts within Europe and around the world, these are wonderful platitudes. Which means supplying the necessary equipment and know-how to those willing to fight the fight and have ‘skin in the game’ might be a better course of action. Secondly, who’s paying for the Iron Dome? Large tax cuts aren’t.”
- End the weaponization of government against the American people. To which I reply, “Please relay that to the Republican nominee who has said on numerous occasions that he’ll do just that against those who oppose him.”
- Stop the migrant crime epidemic, demolish the foreign drug cartels, crush gang violence, and lock up violent offenders. To which I reply, “There is no migrant crime epidemic. Political rhetoric. One needs the cooperation of foreign governments to ‘demolish foreign drug cartels’ otherwise it can be construed as an invasion, of which the U.S.A. does not have a very good track record of doing such since WWII. Gang violence? Sure, lock up the core. Then figure out the attraction of such and fix the issues. That takes time, resources and money… Oops, large tax cuts…”
- Rebuild our cities. Make them safe, clean, and beautiful again. To which I reply, “In agreement. Who’s paying? Not the large tax cuts.”
- Strengthen and modernize our military, making it, without question, the strongest and most powerful in the world. To which I reply, “We are already there with a budget that surpasses any other country.”
- Keep the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency. To which I reply, “Depends if other countries want to ‘buy in.’ It all boils down to how it benefits that country. Nothing to do with ‘us.’
- Fight for and protect Social Security and Medicare with no cuts, including no changes to the retirement age. To which I reply, “These programs make up over half the U.S. budget. Can’t have ‘large tax cuts for workers’ while advocating for this. At the present, the programs are going broke sometime in the 2030s unless something is done.”
- Cancel the electric-vehicle mandate and cut costly and burdensome regulations. To which I reply, “Let’s go back to #4…. why not cut our dependence on oil and gas? In the end, it pollutes our environment from start to finish. We have always been an innovative country, so why are we wanting to maintain the status quo? Burdensome regulations…. Watch out, the Supreme Court just threw it in Congress’ lap and we know how well they do…”
- Cut federal funding for any school pushing critical race theory, radical gender ideology, and other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children. To which I reply, “Let’s go back to point 7…..”
- Keep men out of women’s sports. To which I reply, “Let the individual sport bodies decide. But should we let women into the NFL, NHL, or MLB? Oh heck, why not!”
- Deport pro-Hamas radicals and make our college campuses safe and patriotic again. To which I reply, “Conflicts with #7. (Damn that #7! Getting in the way again!)
And recall May 4, 1970, when the Ohio National Guard opened fire on unarmed college students protesting the Vietnam War, killing four. It was tragic and shook this country to its core. Campuses can be safe and patriotic with respect on both sides of an issue. Blatantly blaming protesters exercising their ‘freedom of speech’ is arrogant and ignorant, especially when one does not agree with the message. That is called suppression of speech, which is not in any of the documents cited in #7.”
- Secure our elections, including same-day voting, voter identification, paper ballots, and proof of citizenship. To which I reply, “I like voting by mail in advance. I believe our town officials do an outstanding job ensuring a safe and secure process. Never been an issue it seems till 2020… Wonder why?”
- Unite our country by bringing it to new and record levels of success. To which I reply, “Sure, but for whom? The rich ‘again?'”
Glad the Republican platform is front and center on #7. Otherwise, I might have to worry about #9…
James Dykes
Marblehead
