This post is for my Republican friends and family who may not like Donald Trump but are voting (or thinking of voting) for him anyway. Yes, I am going there. I decided to be brave and “say the thing” to you – but I decided to do it in the most Laurie way that I can – with love, empathy, and trust in our relationships. No matter who you vote for, I love you. No matter the outcome, I love you. So here goes.
There are so many reasons why I am supporting Kamala Harris – but that is not the purpose of this communication…My intent here is simply to ask you to pause and think about what I am sharing here – and that I am doing so because of my love for my country, because of my hope for the future for my kids, nieces and nephews, because of my love and respect for you – my family and friends, and because of my belief that love will conquer hate in the end.
I ask that you read this with an open mind and an open heart. If you know me well, you know that I am an advocate and an ally for the differently abled, LGBTQIA+ and black and brown people. You may think of me as a liberal – and yes, I am proudly a social liberal, but I also identify as “fiercely” independent when it comes to political parties. When I vote, I make my decisions based on each candidate – I research their platform, their voting records, their experience…and I decide which candidate to support. To this day, I vote across political parties.
There is no doubt that I am a “Never Trumper.” The day he mocked a disabled reporter in July of 2016, I had my first clue about his character. Since that time, I have paid a LOT of attention to his words and actions (sometimes taking a break for my mental health). And since that day, his words and actions have ramped up to a point where I now consider him to be a fascist and a true danger to our country.
Because of the threat I believe he poses, I ask you to consider these points as you consider your own vote.
1. For those of you who are thinking of voting for Trump because you are pro-life:
This election is not really about abortion…or at least it is about more than abortion. I know many of you have deeply rooted beliefs that an embryo is a life, and I respect your beliefs. I didn’t pursue IVF as an option for my own infertility due to my own reservations about this for myself. And let me be clear – I fully support IVF as an option for anyone that chooses it, and I believe that a woman should have agency over her reproductive health. With that said, the issue in this election at this moment in time is actually about the health of women, and the fact that TODAY women are not receiving the lifesaving care that they need and are dying as a result of the abortion bans that have been passed since the overturning of Roe versus Wade. On October 30th, we learned about Kavitha Surana, a 28-year-old mother, who died from sepsis after not receiving lifesaving care for 40 hours while experiencing a miscarriage in 2021. Doctors in Texas said it was against the law to help her while there was still a heartbeat, so they waited to treat her for 40 hours during which she contracted sepsis and died. This is just one of many stories of a woman dying – or coming close to death, by being denied lifesaving care due to an abortion ban: https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/-they-knew-that-women-were-going-to-die-stories-of-abortion-bans-hurting-women-spark-backlash-223148613750. Abortion bans make pregnancy more dangerous, and I believe Trump will do everything he can to take women’s rights away, and more women will die (he literally said yesterday that he will protect women whether they like it or not).
2. For those of you who that believe that Trump will keep our country safer on the world stage:
I believe Donald Trump. I believe that he will use our own military against his political enemies here in the United States – and this is why respected military leaders like retired generals John Kelly and Mark Milley agree that he is a threat to our safety as a nation and consider him to be a fascist. Just yesterday, he said that Liz Cheney should be “standing there with 9 barrels shooting at her.” John Kelly and Mark Milley are two of the most highly respected military leaders of our time. I believe them. I also believe Trump admires Hitler and wants to “rule” like him. I also believe that Trump believes soldiers who are willing to sacrifice their lives for our country are “suckers and losers”. This clip of Kelly’s recent comments confirms this – and I highly encourage you to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPqgCiXDces Trump said this to Kelly several times, including at Arlington Cemetery where Kelly’s own son is buried – his son who was killed serving our country. Can you imagine visiting your son’s grave, and having your boss, the Commander in Chief of the United States, say that your son is a sucker for sacrificing his life for our country???
Trump admires authoritarian leaders. I believe him. What is the trade-off between ending our military aid to Ukraine or Trump aligning with Putin, Viktor Orban, Xi, Kim Jong Un? What will happen when Trump calls on our military to arrest our own citizens thereby threatening our Constitution? How are we safer with him as Commander in Chief?
3. For those of you who think another Trump presidency is better for our economy:
On October 31st, the non-biased publication The Economist endorsed Kamala Harris for president, saying that a second Trump term comes with “unacceptable risks.” The article states: “Tens of millions of Americans will vote for Mr. Trump next week. Some will be true believers. But many will take a calculated risk that in office his worst instincts would be constrained. We see that as recklessly complacent. By making Mr. Trump leader of the free world, Americans would be gambling with the economy, the rule of law and international peace. Ms. Harris’s shortcomings, by contrast, are ordinary. And none of them are disqualifying. If The Economist had a vote, we would cast it for her.”
Goldman Sachs predicts that the economy would be better in a Harris presidency that a Trump presidency due to Trump’s economic plan with tariffs: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/goldman-sachs-sees-biggest-boost-us-economy-harris-win-2024-09-04/
In addition, more than 1/2 of the living Nobel Price winners for economics recently wrote and signed a letter saying that the Harris economic agenda is “vastly better for the U.S. economy. The letter states: “While each of us has different views on the particulars of various economic policies, we believe that, overall, Harris’ economic agenda will improve our nation’s health, investment, sustainability, resilience, employment opportunities, and fairness and be vastly superior to the counterproductive economic agenda of Donald Trump.”
What is the risk of another Trump presidency – and doesn’t it outweigh the “reward?”
Your vote matters.
With my love and respect,
Laurie
Take Heart 