To the Editor:

I’m sitting in my home office and my gaze is drawn to my memory wall and a keepsake U.S. Navy cane given to me by my deceased wife. Those three words are inscribed on the barrel of the cane. I remember my family members who served before and after me. When you are inducted into the military, you are asked to raise your right hand and swear an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

In my lifetime, there has never been more of a domestic threat to our country than Donald Trump. On Jan. 6 in the last year of his presidency, he called for a protest in Washington D.C… This was his attempt to disrupt the certification of the results of a fair and honest election. He whipped the crowd into an angry mob and then released the mob to storm the capitol and stop the certification. He sat back for hours and let this attack on our democracy play out. Today, he calls them peaceful protesters – but did you see anything peaceful taking place on the capitol steps?

Donald Trump is void of honor; he has called wounded members of our military “suckers” and “losers.” He referred to a medal that he presented to a civilian as “more important and meaningful” than the Medal of Honor or medals presented by him to our wounded.

Not long ago, Trump stood among the fallen at Arlington National Cemetery for a photo op. He was supposed to be there consoling a family who lost loved ones in the Afghanistan withdrawal. He took advantage of the moment and posed among the crosses with a grin from ear to ear and two thumbs up. This was done despite the
attempts of Arlington staff trying to stop this disrespectful gesture.

Donald Trump isn’t committed to telling the truth, and he has no honor. He is unfaithful at home and has been found libel for taking sexual advantage of a woman. He has been found guilty of exaggerating the value of his assets in order to gain more favorable lending rates. He was found guilty by a jury of his peers for making payments to avoid scandals that might negatively impact voting in a prior campaign. This doesn’t count pending court proceedings of his attempt to influence the last election’s results.

There exists an opportunity for us to look forward in this election. We have a chance to leave the bitterness, name-calling, and racist rhetoric behind. Regardless of your political beliefs, stand up and vote this time to defend our constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

James Thomas

Norway