Conservative: Trump is tearing us apart at the seams

Hi, my name is Deborah and I am from Massachusetts. My entire life, I have worked in one of three professions: military, law enforcement, or the legal community. From these three professions, I have been expected to demonstrate some very important character trait - respect, humility, understanding and professionalism are but a few of them. For most of my adult life, I have held what most would consider to be very conservative views. And because of a 21 year military career, I was often in locations where I wasn’t able to exercise my right to vote.

00:34 - In 2016, regardless of my views and without hesitation, I did not vote for Donald Trump. The pinnacle of our country, of our democracy, our face to the world, is our president. I could not look myself in the mirror and compromise all I have believed in to believe for one minute that Donald Trump could demonstrate the truth, humility, professionalism, leadership, and respect of other human beings. As a sitting president, this has not only come to fruition, but has literally torn our nation apart at the seams. There was a long list of why I passionately believe Donald Trump is not fit to be our president now or in the future. But at the top of this list, is this.

01:18 - You either agree with Donald Trump or you are his mortal enemy and a host of other adjectives that are abhorrent at best. This is not speculation or fake news as he often calls it. This is by way of four plus years of his own words and his own tweets. When anyone does not agree with Donald Trump, whether they’re members of his own cabinet department heads, or other government officials, they are abruptly and immediately labeled radical left, or some other similar divisive term. This kind of all or nothing behavior is the reason that Donald Trump has gone through a long host of individuals, almost all of them with lifelong government and patriotic service to our country.

01:59 - He makes it a point to call out anyone who disagrees with him in any way, and to leave them as tarnished and as damaged as he can. And one’s reputation can go from perfect to, I don’t even know them in mere minutes. We live in a democracy where it’s expected we will have different opinions. Coming from a military background, the richness of these opinions, backgrounds and ethnicities translates to productivity, mission accomplishment, and an unmatched teamwork by putting country over party. My closest friends and family are a wonderful, diverse palate of different races, political parties, sexual orientations, and religions.

02:40 - As I have watched this nation progress into a pool of us and them, I have made it a point since Trump took office to watch any and all hearings that take place on Capitol Hill from start to finish. I watch news conferences from start to finish. I read executive orders and indictments in full. I do not get piecemeal mail information from the news or social media. I work off facts. None of our government officials are perfect, but this is my takeaway: Donald Trump has turned this country into an apprentice show for the world and the Republican establishment, almost all of them minus a few brave souls have stood by and watched it happen.

03:18 - In fact, while watching hours and hours of hearing I’ve listened as emboldened Republican senators and representatives have made racist, rude, condescending, disrespectful comments following Donald Trump’s lead. Those Republican senators and representatives who are obviously in lockstep behind Donald Trump. If I was in your state, I would be ashamed, very ashamed. If a Democratic president, or any other president for that matter surrounding him or herself with family members as advisors in the executive branch, the opposing party would be in an uproar. Yet, Trump’s family is allowed to operate like the United States as his personal corporation.

04:01 - As we sit by and allow his family members to be appointed and act in numerous governmental capacities, we have state department positions vacant around the world. And if hearing an audio recording of him talking about the serious deadly pandemic weeks before he brushed it off to the American people as the flu wasn’t enough, I don’t know what it is. Tragically, our society has become absolutely numb to the daily lies, vulgar name calling and the mafia like behavior that he demonstrates all the time. And he by demonstration has allowed a whole host of followers to act the very same way. More than I am an American, more than I am a party, I consider myself a Christian. One with many faults of my own.

04:50 - Therefore, I have struggled personally with any kind of judgment toward others, because that’s not how I think of someone who purports themselves as a Christian should act. But I can not stand by any longer and appear to agree or elevate the behavior of Donald Trump by my silence. I feel like I’m trading the highest office in our country and our own country’s moral fiber. I speak now only in hopes that others who are in fear of doing so will at least speak with their vote. Donald Trump denigrates everyone at will. Military POW’s, women, children, disabled, leaders of allied nations - so many others.

05:28 - He has put our country into the pockets of dictators. He openly threatens the savings accounts of all Americans when he in his own words said the stock market would crash if he was impeached or removed from office. Trump has the world stage and we are the pawns in his game of isolationism. He dishonors the presidency, our country, our heroes, our military, our working class and until we vote him out of office, we as a country will be shunned by the world. I speak out now pleading with my fellow law enforcement, military family and friends to please vote American, not party. Our country absolutely depends on it.

06:09 - I myself will be voting for Joe Biden in 2020. If for nothing else, I know he’s moderate. If for nothing else, I know he knows about military sacrifice as opposed to the draft dodger that we have in there now. If for nothing else, I know he knows about personal tragedy in his family. I will be voting for Joe Biden in 2020 and I think the Republican Party that backs Trump should take a very long, hard look in the mirror. Whatever you do, vote.

06:43 - I respect whoever it is because that’s our right as Americans. Thank you for listening. .