When Will Trump Do Something “Presidential?”
Op-ed by
TheWiseOldFart
As he did in 2017-2021, Trump has failed to keep a single
promise. Every issue important to 340 million people has been completely
ignored, while he focuses on two personal issues: ethnic cleansing and enacting
revenge on his enemies.
There are numerous, serious issues facing America: the
rising cost and lack of competent healthcare for millions of Americans, the
cost of housing which has become unaffordable for about one-half of all
Americans, the cost of higher education: our nation loses thousands of its
greatest minds every year, serious and effective immigration reform,
“Trumpflation;” the continued growth in the prices of necessities, unfair
practices by right-wing extremists which will result in unfair elections and
will no longer be secure, and two problems which have existed for 249 years:
prejudice against non-whites and complete equality for women in our society.
Trump continues to ignore everyone of these problems,
treating them like he did Covid-19: “they will just go away.’
Our country desperately needs a great president. We don’t
want the one who claims to be our nation’s leader today. Let’s place him in
retirement as he chases a little white ball through the grass and sand. This is
the only thing he actually cares about.
The Brennan Law Center has 10 suggestions which would repair
our dysfunctional government and hopefully make our nation great. Our country
needs a man or woman who leads with action, not empty words.
(1) Pass legislation which would automatically register
every American as he or she reaches the age of 18. While Trump and his fake
Republicans attempt to lower voter turnout with unnecessary and
unconstitutional rules, when we look at 2020, the importance of efforts to
reach a 100 percent turnout looms larger and larger on the list of Amierica’s “musts.”
(2) Small Donor Public Financing for our elections.
The unconstitutional decision by a corrupt Supreme Court
in 2010 known as “citizens united,” allowed the super-rich to spend nearly
unlimited amounts of money to buy elections. The cost of America’s elections
every four years could fund most other nations for several years.
(3) Put an end to Gerrymandering.
Divide each state’s
districts into sensible geographic districts and let the voters decide the
outcome, not political parties.
(4) Protect Elections from massive Voter Suppression.
The 2020 election proved that voting by mail is the
safest and most secure method currently available to all voters. I am disabled,
with multiple problems preventing me from standing in line at the polls. My
vote must count.
Donald Trump claims that he will put an end to voting by
mail. He knows that Putin’s hackers gained access to the voting machines in all
seven swing states, giving him another illegitimate victory.
Minorities, especially Black Americans and Hispanics have
been the focus of voter suppression for more than three decades. Failure to
take action on this matter is a crime.
(5) Ensure Election Security
In the technology age, it is much easier than you might
think for elections to be “rigged.”
Hacking voter machines is only one way.
During the campaign season, America’s voters are smothered
with political ads on television. “There is no truth in advertising.” Political
parties and their candidates are allowed to lie as much as they like, as long
as they pay the price.
Until 2016, the percentage of voter fraud was approximately
.012. Along came Trump and Putin and everything changed.
(6) End Presidential “Emergency Powers.”
I would add the abuse of executive orders. If you have ever
read the Constitution, you would know that our Founding Fathers were in favor
of limiting the powers of all future presidents.
Although our system of a Democratic Republic, with three
“separate but equal branches,” slightly more power was given to the legislative
branch by the men who signed the Constitution. In 2024, the most corrupt
Supreme Court in history ignored their intent and handed Trump his ambition to
become a dictator.
(7) End the Muslim Ban and Extreme Vetting.
First a fact ignored by our government and the media.
The Christian Religious Right is a lobby. “Republicans”
adopted a policy of seeking the approval of the CRR prior to voting on any
issue which might involve their interests. This is a clear violation of the
First Amendment.
However, this situation continues to be ignored by
everyone in power.
When Trump began his rule over us in 2017, one of his
first acts focused on a single religion: Muslims. Why? The CRR and their
Evangelical and hypocritical leaders gave him their absolute support in
exchange for their votes and the votes of their congregations.
(8) Secure Passage of the Reverse Mass Incarceration Act.
It is a sad but undeniable fact that the United States
has little more than 4 percent of the world’s population, but 25 percent of all
men and women incarcerated in jails and prisons. The recidivism rate in America
is literally ‘off the charts’ compared to those of other nations.
Although the entire Republican Party claims that ‘poverty
does not have an effect on crime,’ the average income of all inmates prior to
their incarceration was just over $19,000 per year.
America’s system focuses on punishment; not rehabilitation.
(9) Restore Voting Rights for Formerly Incarcerated
People.
After serving their sentences, why are the rights of
these men and women not fully restored? Preventing their right to vote seems
very un-American.
This appears to be more of a prejudicial act and an extension
of their punishment than a reasonable violation of their Constitutional rights.
(10) Roll Back Unnecessary Imprisonment and Long
Sentences.
The percentage of prison inmates who abuse drugs or
alcohol.
80%
The number of Americans sent to prison annually for drug
related crimes.
244K
The percentage of all arrests in America that are related
to drug offenses.
26%
Logic tells me that a significant number of these
individuals could have received punishment fit for their crimes, not
incarceration.
One statistic not listed here. Americans who are in the 7%
of wealthiest Americans are seldom punished for their crimes, or simply receive
a “slap on the wrist.”
50% of all Americans struggle in the low-income or
poverty levels of society. When convicted of a crime, they are most likely
sentenced to the maximum allowed by law.
I add three issues which are mandatory if our nation is
to survive.
Term limits must be established for all three branches of
our government.
The Electoral College must be repealed. The people, not
the states should choose the man or woman who leads us for the next four years.
Every vote must count.
The ‘campaign season must be
limited to months, not years. No other democratic nation in the world allows
campaigning for political office to last longer than three months. This would
greatly reduce the ludicrous amount of money spent by candidates every four
years.
The United States is the most
wasteful nation in the world.
Op-ed by James Turnage
Follow my blog and be informed
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