I feel like a modern-day Jonathan Swift, and if you have forgotten who he was, dig out that dusty old English Lit book!  When I first started my blog almost two years ago, I forewarned everyone that I might cover a wide range of topics.  That’s why I call it the “Eclectic Grandma,” a little bit of everything.  Thus far I have steered clear of politics, but today I have to make an exception.

An open letter to Jeb Bush, John Kasich, Ted Cruse, and several more of you:

I have to tell you I have lost respect for all of you!  When this seemingly endless political campaign started, all of you took an oath to support the party’s candidate.  Of course, never in your wildest dreams did you think that Donald Trump might end up being that candidate.  You were more worried that he might be the one to rock the boat.

Now Trump wasn’t my first choice either, but my first choice wasn’t nominated, so I am supporting Trump.  He is somewhat brash and politically incorrect, but his cardinal sin is that he is a political outsider.  It wasn’t his “turn,” was it?  After the last two dismal presidential elections and the exceedingly poor choices of nominees by the Republican Party, you would think the establishment would have learned its lesson. No wonder the American people are weary with the shenanigans of both parties!

I hear Trump getting criticized for modifying his position on various topics.  I don’t think many of us have held perfectly formed beliefs for our entire lives.  We all have a responsibility to continue to learn, to assimilate new data, and to modify our stance as we incorporate new information into our frame of reference.  I would rather have a leader who listens to reason and modifies his views than one too rigid to change and evolve.

One of the two major party candidates is going to be the next President, sorry Libertarians, Green Party, and some other fringe candidates!  Staying home and not voting is not an option.  That is simply making a choice by omission, rather than by direct intention. The Democrats would like to paint all Trump supporters as uneducated white males, so permit me to give you a brief summary of myself.  I am female (the Eclectic Grandma, right?).  I am Christian, conservative, pro-life, and a supporter of gun rights.  I also hold four college degrees, am reasonably proficient in French, Spanish, and Latin, and at the risk of sounding immodest, have a pretty high IQ.  I have traveled to and/or worked in over thirty countries, including extensive work experience in the Middle East, Africa, and the Far East, so I don’t think I’m some uneducated dummy!

So for whom do we vote?  I heard a great suggestion on the radio the other day; make a list of the most important considerations to you in the upcoming election and then determine which candidate has the greater likelihood of supporting those issues.  Well, here are my core issues:

• Religious freedom.  While I am not overly religious in the traditional sense, I do consider myself to be a Christian.  Many of my ancestors arrived on this continent in the 1600’s, coming to this country to escape religious persecution in England, Scotland, and Europe, and I strongly support the Judeo-Christian principles upon which this country was founded.

• The Constitution.  I am appalled at the lack of knowledge so many people have about our Constitution (and American history in general while we’re at it!).  The US Constitution is one of the most perfectly and carefully crafted documents in the history of mankind.  If all of this sounds like Greek to you, I would encourage you to enroll in the excellent, free online course, Constitution 101, offered by Hillsdale College. (online.hillsdale.edu)

• Second Amendment.  Of course, the Bill of Rights is part of the Constitution, but the Second Amendment to the Constitution warrants a special comment here.  Our forefathers recognized the right of a citizenry to arm and protect itself.  I am so tired of the constant squawking for more gun control every time we have an incident of any kind.  Perhaps we should look at the underlying problems in our society, not at the many thousands of us who responsibly own and use guns (and by the way, I’m a damn good shot!).

• A Strong Military.  It breaks my heart to see how the current Administration has decimated our military and ignored our veterans.   My ancestors fought in the Revolutionary War to help found this country and the Civil War (more properly called the War Between the States) to help preserve it, and my father and uncles fought in World War II to defend the world against unspeakable evil.  We are the hope of much of the world, and our leadership is sorely needed.  I don’t want to see the US become a second-rate nation.  We need American exceptionalism!

• Strong Borders.  Now we start getting to a touchier subject!  We can only survive as a country and offer safety and security to our citizens when we protect our borders and monitor who can enter our country.  Does this mean building a wall?  I don’t know, but clearly people who enter our country should do so in a legal, controlled, and monitored fashion, not slipping over the border in the dark of night.  This leads me right into my next topic.

• Limited Amnesty.  Do I agree with some sort of mass deportation?  No, unless you are a convicted criminal, then bye-bye!  By the same token, I also do not favor a path to citizenship for anyone who entered the country illegally.  How about a permanent legal resident “green card,” but no path to citizenship or voting rights?  Most of those who support amnesty care only about trying to enroll a bloc of potential voters.  Want citizenship?  Then leave the US and apply to re-enter as a legal immigrant like so many others have done before you and go to the back of the line!

• Lower Taxes.  I am still working at an age when most people would be happily retired.  Of course, in all honesty I would probably be bored to tears if I weren’t working, but I am working for my own family and lifestyle, not to be a little old lady supporting a bunch of people sitting around on their you-know-what’s!

• Less government intrusion and regulation.  I’m sure that I’m probably inadvertently violating some regulation or other every time I get out of bed in the morning.  The State of Colorado just passed a law allowing people to collect up to 110 gallons of rainwater to water their lawns and gardens.  Isn’t that sporting of them?  I suspect that God, the Universe, or Mother Nature (whichever term you prefer) is having a good laugh over that one.  And this doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface on federal regulations.

I could probably go on and on, but you are no doubt getting weary with this. This is my list; yours may be completely different, and that is fine.  Just take the time to give it a little serious thought, and by all means exercise your right to vote!

To bring everything full circle, Jeb, John, Ted, and the rest of you (and I might add Mr. Romney and Mr. McCain to this group!), it’s time to put aside your sour grapes, self-righteous anger, and thwarted political aspirations, and be a real man!  Support publicly and actively work for your party’s candidate and help him to a victory in November.  If Trump loses, it may be too late to turn our country from a downward spiral toward greater debt, bigger government, more socialism, and becoming a second-rate country!

©The Eclectic Grandma, 2016