Don’t let Trump brainwash you
To the editor:
The good people of Southwest Florida are realizing that even though Trump is almost through with his first four years of his presidency, he hasn’t come close to keeping his campaign promises even though his Republican Party controls the Senate. He said that the fulfillment of his promises would be fantastic, wonderful, and incredible, and he said accomplishing them was going to be SO easy. He lies. He is a liar and lies constantly. He has failed miserably at making America Great again. He has alienated himself from most of the world leaders except a few dictators. All of his promises have fallen short including fixing the health care system, building a wall and making Mexico pay for it, draining the swamp, reducing drug costs of big pharmaceuticals, pulling our troops out of the Mideast, building and repairing our country’s desperately needed declining infrastructure, claiming to release his tax information after his audit is complete, etc., etc., etc.
His leadership has been a disaster especially concerning COVID-19. After the first 8 weeks since he was briefed on the virus, which he said was a hoax, instead of responding fast and furiously, he responded slow and sloppy. Then Trump’s response turned into a true failure when state Governors started competing with each other for medical supplies. At this point Trump’s inept leadership was laughable except that the experts say that Trump’s delay caused at least 36,000 American lives. Again he is setting a very bad example by not wearing a mask in public and holding crowded rallies where masks and social distancing are not required. This behavior will cause more deaths. He doesn’t care about you. He cares about how his golden toilet in Trump’s Tower got scratched.
Trump knows that his popularity is dwindling across the country and particularly in southwest Florida, and his true colors are becoming even more evident.
If Trump’s past bad behavior doesn’t bother you, then maybe Trump’s TV commercials will. For the last three weeks in southwest Florida, Trump has been bombarding us with his annoying TV commercials. We all are agonized by the local, repetitive commercials that try to sell us new cars, new kitchen counter tops, and new water systems that are good for your hair, but Trump’s pathetic, non-stop commercials are sinister. He is trying to psychologically control and brainwash us to influence our vote in the election of the Presidency of the United States this November. This method of brainwashing actually works on weak and unintelligent people who end up believing what they are constantly told. These commercials are not about anything positive that he has done, is doing, or plans to do. Instead the bully goes after his opponent because that is what bullies do. He spreads fear that the protesters and statue removers are going to destroy everything that we hold dear and corrupt our children. By the way, those statues weren’t erected before or during the Civil War. They were erected after the war during the Jim Crow Era as glorified symbols of a time when the despicable, inhuman practice of slavery was considered normal These statues instilled fear and were symbols of racism plain and simple. How dishonorable is that? Those statues perpetuate the ideals of a horrible time in our country’s history and should never have been put up in the first place and then tolerated for all these years. It’s about time they get taken down!
Trump uses his sleazy tactics to frighten people and divide them. There are those who will see through his devious plan and not be afraid, but there are plenty of others who are weaker and will be easily frightened and will want to be taken care of by the person who is scaring them. This is what Hitler did by spreading fear aimed at the Jews in the 1930s that led us into World War II. Trump’s most recent commercial about the horrible results from “defunding” the police departments is a very good example of a fear tactic. For those of you who have already been brainwashed by Trump and believe that the term, “defunding” means that police won’t have the money to do their jobs, I want to let you know that isn’t what it means. Trump latched onto that term and twisted its initial meaning for his own delusional motives. “Reforming” would be a better term and it is what the whole “defunding” thing is actually about. One of many good examples would be that police would no longer be called to respond to a drug overdose. Instead, specially trained people would respond, leaving the police to concentrate on other matters that they are specifically trained for. The money given to the police departments to train them for a typical drug overdose situation would be better spent on training non-police responders who are trained in the areas of addiction and family issues. That’s where the term “defunding comes in. Spending our tax dollars more efficiently is what it means and allows police to concentrate on matters where they are really needed and fully funded. Trump’s commercial where a 911 caller could be placed on hold for five days is a perfect example of Trump’s twisting of the facts and his fear-inducing, campaign tactics.
“You know, I’ve seen a lot of people walkin’ ’round with tombstones in their eyes, but Trump doesn’t care whether you live or if you die.”
For those of you that have been brainwashed by Trump, I hope my letter helps you smell the roses.
Peter Pfluger
North Fort Myers