We are now a few months into the year and many of us have nice things to look forward to. Maybe it’s that special vacation you have been saving for, perhaps a new house or car, or the wedding or graduation of a loved one. Then, of course, we still face the daily problems of inflation, gun violence and civil unrest in our country as well as wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. There is always something going on that seems to overshadow the blessings we have, isn’t there?
But the one thing I truly dread in 2024 is the upcoming Presidential election which, barring a miracle, will be Joe Biden vs Donald Trump. I keep saying to myself that in this great country, is this the best we can do?
For decades there have been candidates running for the presidency that we have both admired and disliked, but nothing will closely resemble what is in store for us this election year.
I have always had great respect for Joe Biden even though I have disagreed with some of his policy decisions. As a lifelong public servant, he has always worked hard for the people and has a history of working and compromising with Republicans in Congress and the Senate for solutions.
But, as we have so often heard at his age, he is too old to seek re-election. That is, in my humble opinion, indisputable. As for the Democratic Party, it has some major problems to be sure and is long overdue for some younger, more moderate, strong leadership to win back the confidence of the American people.
Then, of course, there is Donald Trump. When historians sit down to write about events that most altered the 21st century, two of the things that will be close or on top of the list will be the 2016 election of Donald Trump that caused the mass polarization of our country and the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection of our Capitol building by violent criminal protesters encouraged by Trump that made our once-proud nation a laughingstock around the world.
But, he didn’t do it alone. Trump was aided and abetted every step of the way by a multitude of Republicans in both the House and the Senate who, after four years of enabling his authoritarian tendencies, sought to invalidate the will of the very people they serve. Their collective actions and words put lives at risk and struck at the very heart of our most fundamental democratic principles.
Donald Trump, if elected, is, without a doubt, a true threat to our democracy. Is there anyone out there who thinks Trump will go quietly if he should lose a close election?
Also, why would we want to elect a candidate to office who has been indicted on so many criminal charges?
I see a terrible storm brewing in our country if that should happen. Only we the people can avoid such a nightmare by beating Trump convincingly in November.
That, of course, will leave us with an old — but at least patriotic and decent — man in the White House and thankfully not a dictator.
Hopefully our country will survive this debacle. And here’s hoping some new vibrant candidates appear on the horizon in 2028 so we never have an election year like this again. God Bless America.
Larry Whitlow lives in New Hope.
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