Part 1
Division, I have had enough! While traveling, a friend of 40 years sent me a very ugly, name-calling sexist text about VP Harris, which he believed to be true based on Trump’s …
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Part 1
Division, I have had enough! While traveling, a friend of 40 years sent me a very ugly, name-calling sexist text about VP Harris, which he believed to be true based on Trump’s comments and watching certain news channels. Politics have hurt families and as in my case a very longstanding friendship.
What happened to talking face to face? Social media has its good points but in this scenario my friend posted a very negative and false claim about Biden’s response in Georgia. I said that it was false, citing what Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp stated. And I also responded to his other comments.
Governor Kemp proved that it was false. He spoke with Biden, and he disputed what Trump said.
Undocumented immigrants are another topic that has been misconstrued. According to governmental data, the Obama administration deported more people than did Trump.
Trump continues to make comments that are fear-based and demeaning towards people who have come to America for a better life. Trump made promises, but to be fair, many presidents make promises that they are not able to complete. For instance, Trump did not didn’t complete the building of the wall or badly needed infrastructure.
The claim of immigrants are committing crimes was repeated by friend. We both worked over 25 year in careers in public safety and we’ve seen who commits crimes, mass shootings, school shootings. It’s not immigrants.
Part 2
Trump’s plan to deport millions would adversely affect farmers. Try to find Americans to take their place, to work the fields. I’ve said to my friend that if you don’t like immigrants, quit hiring them to do your work around your home. We are a nation of immigrants. And Trump continues to support dictatorship! During the presidential debate, he stated “Let me just tell you about world leaders. Viktor Orbán, one of the most respected men — they call him a strongman. He’s a tough person. Smart. Prime minister of Hungary.” As well as leaders of Russia, China, N. Korea.
As we drove a total of 8,600 miles across the country, I wished news outlets would report what we saw, mass infrastructure on the freeways and in townships. The stock market overall has seen record highs. The good things in this country.
Trump left trillions of debt when he left office. Now he continues name calling, being disrespectful and creating fear and animosity to those who are seeking a better life. Ask yourself: Is this presidential? Is his talking about Arnold Palmer’s shower experience and genitalia, to say nothing of working up his base to shout out ‘sh*t,’ presidential? He continues creating a very hostile environment and it serves no purpose.
Another strategy is to complain about how Harris has done nothing as the vice president. VPs can’t do much for policy change, as we saw with Mike Pence. What did Pence do to affect major change? To label Harris for not doing something she couldn’t do anyway does not hold validity.
Biden has nothing to do with gas prices in California or Washington. From Elko, Nevada to New Market, New Hampshire Gas average $3.18 to $3.59. West coast taxes — much of it around environmental protection — contribute to high fuel costs.
Part 3
I met two long haul truckers in Minnesota, one from Egypt and another who immigrated from Somalia, both of whom had been in the United States for over 10 years. They spoke of how the current political situation has caused so much anger and hate towards immigrants. They stopped watching the news, saying it was too depressing and hateful. While having dinner in a restaurant in Chicago, our waiter was a young man from Guatemala. He left everything, including his family friends, to have a better life, and, down the road, to help his family. His goal was to open up his own store.
In Leeper, Pennsylvania, a very red part of our country, I spoke to a foreman of a paving company. My bias was that he must be a republican, so I did not want bring up politics. Instead he opened the door, saying he fears what is happening in America and that he was voting for Harris. He also spoke of Biden’s infrastructure funds, part of the Build Back Better legislation, which are his and his coworkers bread and butter.
I also had a conversation with a man in Springfield, Indiana — another deeply red city. He was the owner of an electric company and he too was voting for Harris.
To sum it up, we all live in a beautiful country where diversity is a strength.
I will close with an interesting fact: In 2016, only 20% of voters under 50 voted, while nationally it 55%.
Millennials, it’s your future. It’s time to make change, but it won’t just happen. We all must VOTE.
Sonny Flores has lived in Port Townsend for 12 years.