Blackfoot Valley Dispatch - The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980

I am so sad that apparently decent, intelligent Americans like Larry Dillree can be so unwilling to accept facts. (BVD 11/13/19). Facts are not political, but often our opinions are shaped by facts so we have a responsibility as citizens to get the facts right. Before Mr. Dillree says, “ the Democrats have spent the last three and one half years doing nothing,” he should look at the record. Dozens of bills, many with bipartisan support, have been passed: criminal justice reform, mental health research, veteran’s benefits, early education – too many to name here – but some of these and dozens of other pieces of worthwhile legislation proposed by the Democrats are stacking up on Mitch McConnell’s desk, unread or ignored. This is a Republican stone-walling of the passage of good bills, some of which Trump said he would sign!

But Mr. Dillree is right about one thing. Democrats bad-mouth Trump. I have done it myself, but I shouldn’t have. It was neither kind nor productive, and I apologize to my Republican friends and Trump supporters. But just think, Trump has called Republicans, his own appointed officials, and formerly close friends, losers, traitors for whom the penalty is death, and “human scum!” He has called non-partisan diplomats, military generals, and purple heart veterans similar ugly words. This is a man who has fine-tuned the art of name-calling. How can this be all right for the average person to behave this way, much less for the President of the United States?

Mr. Dillree says Trump is a “great” President. The man has defrauded people (Trump University), discriminated against people (Trump housing and rentals), and destroyed people’s reputations with false information about them. This is not me “bad-mouthing” him. These things happened. There’s a record. If Mr. Dillree likes Trump’s stand on immigration, his nationalistic ideas, his trade deals, and his feisty personality, that’s his right. What I don’t understand is why a conservative, Republican, patriotic citizen would like Trump’s ignorance and  abuse of the Constitution, his disregard of his Oath of Office, his alienating of our allies, and his thinking that “he can do anything he wants” (his words).

Please, Mr. Dillree, read more, listen to the experts (a lot of them are conservative Republicans), and ask yourself if there may be a more valuable way for you to defend and protect your America than by following in the footsteps of Donald Trump.

Thank you,

Liz Cain

Lincoln