I know so many of you. Some of you are my family members, my friends, my neighbors and people I see and interact with every day. For whatever reason, and for likely many reasons, we are a divided people. But we have too much in common to be as different as we have become.
We are not a perfect people. Discrimination permeates and stains our society. All of us have some prejudice. Trump has manipulated these human frailties to create societal division and hate. He resorts to retributive intimidation, greed and prejudice to coerce many to unwittingly compromise their integrity.
Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral and ethical principles. It means honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility, and is the most important and valuable characteristic for any person. We need to always understand that without integrity, we have and are nothing.
You may have supported Trump for stock market reasons, for his “worst of the worst” criminal immigration policy, for his promises regarding the economy, for his position on DEI and wokeness, for your sympathy for the Epstein victims, for your opposition to the left and liberals or for some other reason.
It is time for all of us to see Trump for what he is, a bully and “a con artist, swindler, or marketer using deceptive tactics to exploit consumers,” the modern day definition of a snake oil salesman. Our country and our people are the consumers, pawns and victims of Trump’s intimidating and deceptive tactics as he accumulates vast wealth and tears down our house.
As the elite and wealthy get wealthier, Trump’s pawns suffer an affordability crisis with mounting grocery, housing, health insurance and other costs. He dismantles the White House and the very core of our democracy with threats to an independent judiciary, the separation of powers, due process and freedom of the press and free speech. Ignoring and disrespecting the Epstein victims as a hoax and instead touting the stock market; accusing opposing lawmakers, including veterans, of seditious behavior punishable by death; killing protesting American citizens and accusing them of being domestic terrorists, terrorizing, separating and deporting law abiding immigrants; imposing illegal tariffs and wreaking havoc on the economy, businesses, and farmers; and manipulating racism are but a few examples of the Trump administration’s lack of integrity.
Racism is a societal shame that Trump unforgivingly manipulates to gain favor with many of his supporters. That alone should be reason to renounce support for him. Some may defend their support as being loyal to their party but partisanship should always yield to integrity. Racism is as evil and offensive to integrity as are religious bigotry, sexism, misogyny and child sexual abuse.
Justice for the Epstein victims is long overdue. Past failures to investigate and prosecute do not excuse continued negligence and injustice. With Trump now claiming he has been exonerated from what he called a hoax, why does he not order a full investigation by the Department of Justice? We should call on all of our legislators to openly and vigorously lobby for complete enforcement of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. They should demand an expedient disclosure of all lawfully unredacted files to expose and prosecute the perpetrators of this heinous and horrific crime, and bring some relief to the victims.
Just as the Supreme Court has now said no to Trump and his illegal tariffs, we collectively must say no to this administration and to all of his enablers that view us as their pawns and fools.
As a people whose majority is more focused on grocery market and housing economics than on stock market economics, and on decency, respect and justice for all, it is time for all us to realize that “we’ve been had” and taken advantage of by intimidation, greed and deceptive tactics. Let’s wake up, compromise on our differences, and peacefully demand a return to fairness, dignity and respect for all.
Trump’s past business failures and Chapter 11 bankruptcies are well documented. We can only hope he does not lead our country to financial and moral bankruptcy and ruin.
We are running out of time as our democracy is in peril. We need Republicans and Democrats and Independents guided by an unwavering commitment to integrity to serve as our leaders in the White House and Congress.
Michael F. Bertrand is retired and lives in Derry.