Letter to the editor: History will thank Trump, reader says

6
2079
Photo by Yuri Gripas, Reuters

To the editor:

First of all, as a former Iowan and former resident of Perry, I’d like to thank whoever reached out to me on Facebook in response to my comment about the previous opinion piece regarding our former president. There are far too many negative attacks geared towards divisiveness and outright hatred towards him, and I appreciate the good faith gesture of considering my opinion on the matter for publication.

Let me say that in an era where Facebook, Google and Twitter are all actively censoring conservative thought, it has become even more difficult to find anything positive, noteworthy or, more importantly, truthful on these platforms, as they have all become powerful echo chambers for the far left. Even now, after the acquittal in a second impeachment trial, I reflect on the accomplishments of the Trump administration.

I often wonder just how bad COVID-19 would be had we not had the decisive leadership that strengthened our southern border, disincentivized illegal immigration (not to be confused with the much welcomed legal immigration) and even while under the attack of congressional leaders claims of bigotry and isolationism, made the very difficult yet wise decision to ban travel from China in the infancy of the pandemic.

We also at the very least have Trump partly to thank for “Operation Warp Speed,” the efforts of which are now being fully realized. In retrospect, is there really anyone left that can claim we’d be better off if he hadn’t put America first? Do any of your readers think that among the panel of political leadership, an Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders would have had the courage to shelve their knee-jerk reactions in favor of a higher good.

Trump knew that a strong and fair economic opportunity doesn’t discriminate against any who are willing participants. It rewards all people of competence. The level of pre-COVID-19 economic development and prosperity, with its record-breaking lowest levels of unemployment in Black and Hispanic communities and numbers in some sectors never before seen in history, cannot be overstated. All due to the lifting of burdened regulatory nightmares and a lowering of taxes that welcomed a reshoring of businesses, allowing current ones to thrive.

My last point: does anyone really think that Biden will be tough on China? I guess it remains to be seen if decades of unfair trade balances will continue its course correction or go unnoticed, because unlike many of my liberal and left-leaning friends, I’d like to think that I, more often than not, judge our commander in chief by action, policy and championed legislation rather than mean tweets, talking heads, twisted words and sound bites that hold no contextual value whatsoever, as these things denigrate the integrity of our media outlets and make us ever more entrenched and polarized in our thinking.

I’m of the opinion that history will look upon Trump’s presidency with gratitude, becoming more apparent with the passage of time, because character in leadership relies upon what someone does, even when it’s hard, and especially where it counts.

Claude Burton
Galveston, Texas

6 COMMENTS

  1. Quick responses:

    1. Some conservative thought is being prohibited from social media because it’s untrue, for example, the lie that Trump won the election. That lie and Trump’s promotion of that lie caused a riot at the Capitol where a Capitol Police Officer died and an insurgent was shot. You can try to deflect the issue by saying the left is untruthful, but I noted you didn’t give any examples, certainly none that rise to the level of setting up the American public to believe that the election was rigged. In over 60 jurisdictions, the Trump claims were dismissed re the election as not true. For instance in Pennsylvania, despite claims to the contrary, four dead people voted, not thousands, and they all voted for Trump.

    2. While Trump wasn’t acquitted because it took a super-majority of 67 votes to convict him, please don’t lose sight that the vote was 57-43 to convict the former president, hardly a ringing endorsement. It’s important to note that the lack of reaching 67 vote super-majority does not indicate he wasn’t guilty of the offense with which he was tried. Many of those, including Mitch McConnell, who is the leader of getting Republican policies passed and in place, spoke of Trump’s guilt post-trial, saying they just didn’t feel they had the Constitutional authority to convict a president after he left office. Many Constitutional scholars, including those from the far right, believe that argument to be ridiculous, but nonetheless that was the excuse McConnell and others gave. In terms of the trial being over, let’s all get along and be happy? I do hope President Biden will work across the aisle, but it will be hard to do that with a Republican Party that has made clear they aren’t interested in cooperation but only in beating Democrats. It’s also difficult to work with a party that supports sedition.

    3. While Trump’s economic programs resulted in high employment and somewhat higher wages, the primary beneficiaries were the wealthiest among us. They received huge and sustained tax breaks, the same of which cannot be said for the middle class. In addition, the debt has spiraled. Now the Republicans oppose increasing the debt in order to help people, cities, and states through the pandemic, but they weren’t worried at all when it was for tax breaks for the already wealthy. And by the way, those businesses did not invest in their companies with the tax breaks. Significant and sound research noted they turned those dollars over to their stockholders, I suppose so they could by a fourth house in the Bahamas.

    4. I don’t know for certain what the logistics were regarding Operation Warp Speed. The things I have read indicate the Biden administration had a lot of ground to make up for several reasons. More importantly, Trump failed to tell people how serious the virus was and made a big deal about NOT wearing masks, the best weapons we had. It became a political statement to go maskless, and God only knows how many people got sick and died because Trump refused to tell the truth. He kept the CDC from offering honest reports. His lack of leadership in fighting the virus, in my view, is his most egregious failure. And now we have over 5,000 Iowans dead, just part of the half-million deaths so far in the US.

    5. Yes, President Biden will be tough on China, as well as on Russia, a horrible world citizen to which Trump gave a free pass. President Biden isn’t in the pocket of Vladimir Putin, whom Trump undoubtedly is indebted to. Nothing else can explain his unwillingness to respond to Russia rationally.

    I am looking forward to an administration that is more interested in serving the American public than serving the ego of the president.

  2. Well said, Mr. Burton. The problem is people on the left are overcome by unfounded hate for President Trump, and it blocks out any common sense they might actually have.

  3. I’m putting two things to rest right now. This letter’s publication proves beyond a doubt The Perry News will gladly print letters from conservatives, provided the author posts under their real name and the missive is not rife with disinformation and hateful rhetoric.

    The other thing that needs stated is I’m neither a hired hatchet man for the editor, nor do I receive any financial considerations. My opinions are my own and not necessarily those of The Perry News. Indeed, the editor doesn’t publish everything I submit either.

    With all that in mind, I’m giving this letter a pass. Though I’d happily tear into all its talking points with a passion, I’m letting this one go.

  4. He’s locked up in his decaying Florida trash palace that smells like old man sports.
    He’s got no privacy and is unwelcome most places and he can’t travel anyway without it being a big production. Melania giving him stinkeye, his children and his debtors after what money he has left, and every dime now coming out of his pocket instead of ours, and boy does he know it.

    Don’t hate him. It’s not worth the energy because he is all but irrelevant now, living in fear, ignominy and disgrace till the end of his days.

  5. Just wasted 5 minutes that I can never get back, reading Mr. Burton’s letter to the editor. When you have ONE news source, this is what happens to a person’s view of a failed presidency. I’m sure he still feels the election was stolen and the riots were started by ANTIFA. Thank goodness we are where we are now. Our country could not have survived another 4 years of 45.

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