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Dear Editor,

Friends don’t let friends vote for Donald Trump. Please demonstrate compassion for your MAGA hysteria infected colleagues and family members, for they know not what to believe anymore.

The sociopath currently residing in the White House is masterful in leveraging multiple national crises to his political advantage. Crises he (alone) has incited or exacerbated. Notwithstanding the minority of right wing zealots who populate his base, many fence sitting voters this November will undertake an emotional gut check prior to casting their ballots.

It is to these thoughtful voters we must appeal. Appeal to a sense of decency, morality and ethics.

The Trump deception machine is in full gear. This isn’t an issue driven election so much as a morality driven election; and clearly, the morality of Trump & Associates is a black hole.

I composed the preceding paragraphs prior to the release of Jeff Goldberg’s damning revelations of Trump’s outrageous disrespect of American fallen military service members. Accordingly, I’d like to add a few lines.

My father served in Vietnam as an Army Officer. He met an untimely death from cancer attributable to Agent Orange exposure. Trump defines my father as a sucker.

You know what? We are all suckers for voting Trump the first time. We got played by the consummate con artist.

Trump embodies the worst of a selfish mindset where the accumulation of wealth, power and ego supersedes all other human motives. He doesn’t understand the tenets of service, self-sacrifice and patriotism.

Duty, Honor Country is a phrase he pays lip service to. Men and women who put on a uniform and swear an oath to perform service to their country, state or community understand the reason they do so, and it certainly isn’t the pay.

Signed,

Bill Wooten, LaGrange

US Air Force combat veteran

Republican voter (former)

Concerned citizen