Larry Johnson on Election 2024
Larry Johnson is a longtime friend and peace activist, I am sending this along with his permission.
Dear Friends and Family:
My heart surgery a couple years ago may have ended my 50,61,70, or 100 mile walks, but I still walk every day. This is, however, the first year in as long as I can remember that I didn’t do many daily walks to knock on doors, encouraging people to vote, telling my story and listening to “yours”, especially if you think differently. I also write every day, because it starts with the same letter as “walk”, though the “w” is silent. So just consider this a knock on your door, and a trading of stories about doing the best we can together for our country. These are just some of my reasons for why I will vote the way I do.
I’m a Veteran who grew up Eisenhower Republican. I’m not one of the enormous number of current Republicans disagreeing with many Walz/Harris policies, but voting for them anyway. I’ve voted Democrat all my adult life because I’ve mostly worked with children living in poverty. Democrats tend more toward safety nets and a “leg up” to help young people graduate to a better life. I’ve known too many who went to jail for shoplifting or smoking the wrong thing, then struggle to get even menial jobs because they are “criminals”. They had no access to big money to play endlessly with legal loopholes. However, even if there were no other reason, my problem with the former President is the way he talks about people, especially Veterans. I’ll ignore the current argument where John Kelly and 13 others who were there said Mr. Trump disparaged Veterans. I’m talking about things I heard myself, like the way Mr. Trump spoke of John McCain, Republican Veteran who actively worked “across the aisle” to get important things done. I’m also sad about the way Covid was handled. When I was drafted in 1970, I was a medic who gave preventive shots to children and to fellow GIs. In the military there was no choice, but choice back home should be based on accurate information. I have friends and family who died after refusing covid shots because of the way the President trashed professionals advocating for them. I’m also a retired teacher, dismayed with talk about disbanding the Department of Education. I’ve seen nothing about an alternative plan for supporting caring, dedicated, educators who impart their designated subject matter along with teaching children to not bully or use abusive language. It has been particularly troubling lately to think about those children seeing the former President talking about immigrants in a way so abusive it would not be tolerated in school?
Some of you I know how you’re thinking, because we’ve talked. Some I don’t, and it’s none of my business unless you choose to say so. I’m just saying some of what I think. I know cost of living is a factor for many, and it is a fact that wages were higher under the Trump Presidency. What doesn’t get said when that is touted is that 2.7 million people lost their jobs, so for them wages were non-existent. Also Mr. Trump increased the national debt in 4 years twice as much as has happened in the last 4 years. I think neither side should be spending over budget, as that becomes a hidden cost to all of us down the road. Less is better than more, and I lean toward a system like when a Republican Congress and a Democratic President, Bill Clinton, balanced the budget. Both sides were dissatisfied with some things, but together they did something significant for the economy. However, perhaps the thing that concerns me most is the talk about jailing or otherwise punishing political opponents. I’ve attached my latest SUN POST column, which some of you have seen. I suppose it puts me in line for that kind of punishment, unconscionable in what we like to refer to as a “free country”. Just one more reason I couldn’t even think of voting for Mr. Trump, even if everything else were perfect.
Your friend or family member, no matter what your political opinions,
Larry Johnson
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