Save the America our founders envisioned
To the editor:
In response to increasing criticism of the President’s foreign-and previous domestic-threats and military actions there has been an uptick in letters supporting Trump’s behavior, no matter how capricious or self-serving it has seemed. This is as it should be in a democratic (small d) republic (small r). Vigorous debate should be the hallmark of our system of three coequal branches of government, unlike authoritarian regimes whether left or right wing. The key word in the previous sentence is “should:” our country no longer functions as our founders enshrined in our Constitution. Two branches of our current government, arguably, are in thrall to the third: the Executive Branch, which is the opposite of what our founders intended through our Constitution.
Another obstacle to a functional democracy is an ill-informed electorate. There should not be disagreement as to what is true-factual-and what is not true, did not take place, is not based on evidence. Yet here we are. Despite fact checking ability at our fingertips many have difficulty distinguishing fact from opinion, reporting from propaganda; we are easily manipulated by media which are controlled by supporters of “our” party or we are in fear of the abuse of regulatory resources by the opposition party currently in power. Aside from the corrosive systemic influences on us, as individuals we tend to believe what is consistent with our preconceptions, expectations and assumptions; this is called confirmation bias.
Despite the risks of armchair psychology, I have attempted to understand what makes President Trump tick. As a youngster Trump was described as a “bully” who was repeatedly expelled from private schools until he was placed in military boarding school. He did well in that environment which was both highly structured and hierarchical, tolerating (if not encouraging) “bullying behavior.” This has become Trump’s most consistent approach to business, reinforced by his formative relationship with Roy Cohen.
Trump has demonstrated admiration for many authoritarian leaders and highly questionable behavior toward several, notably Putin, our major enemy. He also has shown disregard for various norms and traditions if not our actual laws. Perhaps equally serious are Trump’s violations of legal behavioral standards, not least his 20-year friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, most of which remains hidden in Trump’s DOJ files.
The preceding was the foundation for expressing my most recent concerns about our President. I fear he is decompensating before our eyes: Trump’s gait, speech, thinking and now judgment are impaired. He lacks basic filters which is associated with dementia. It’s time to take away grandpa’s keys, especially since he has the launch codes.
Billy Herman
Cape Coral