Yesterday, I heard someone on TV give a speech in which the bulk of the content seemed to be devoted to denigrating the United States of America. Yesterday, this person made our country sound like some sort of “banana republic” (and I don’t mean a clothing store) … overrun by gangs, drugs, and violence; ruled by an uncaring elite who crush the poor, suppress education, and rape the country while watching it rot. Yesterday’s speech was peppered with fuzzy (and, therefore, meaningless) promises, platitudes, and jingoism. There was a biblical reference in yesterday’s speech, but the devil can cite scripture for his purpose.
The speech scared me. If the United States is really the hellhole described in this speech, I fear for the welfare of my friends, family (especially my grandchildren), and myself. If the country is really as terrible as described, I can understand why some of my fellow citizens want to leave. I want to live in a country that is marked not with the threat of fear and constant conflict, but with the promise of mutual respect and cooperation. Fortunately, I believe that we have a lot more of the latter.
Yesterday’s speech described my country with words that made it sound like a third-world state … more impoverished than Ethiopia; more worn out than Cuba; more oppressed than North Korea. Perhaps I misunderstood the speaker who is relatively inarticulate and has an odd accent or, perhaps, a speech impediment. (Words beginning with “hu” and those containing “gu” seem to be a particular problem for this person.)
What really confused me in yesterday’s speech … and others he has given … were the attacks on the establishment and the “elite”. I’m confused because the speaker couldn’t be more establishment and elite if he tried. He’s a multi-billionaire who has become a politician.
I’m sorry Mr. President, I don’t believe I’ve ever visited the America you know. I certainly don’t live there. Am I one of the elite of whom you spoke? I can’t help you to make America great again but, if you start giving speeches that encourage and inspire rather than discourage and destroy; if you can make me believe that you want to serve the people of the United States of America rather than just aggrandize and enrich yourself and those privileged few like you, I’ll do what I can to help make America even greater than it already is.
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My Less Than Humble Opinion 