LETTER TO THE EDITOR: A veteran's disillusionment with the state of affairs

As an American citizen who has spent the majority of my adult life in/out of the greatest Army in the world, and visited such garden spots as Africa, Bosnia, Kuwait and Afghanistan, I will enter the polling booth in November a ticked-off veteran. I will cast a vote, but truly wonder if this country will be able to overcome the slow death of our democracy wrought by the Obama administration and the Democratic Party’s far left. If Hillary is elected, our democracy will continue to die, as she is nothing more than a continuation of Obama and the far left. When Obama was elected in 2008, he promised change. He beat Hillary then, and while the country is again clamoring for change, what makes you think she is any different today from when she lost in 2008? The only thing she and the Democratic Party did not anticipate in their coronation of her three years ago was the brilliant campaign of Bernie. He pushed her so far to the left that even she doesn’t know who she is. If Hillary wins, the Clinton Foundation, their private family bank, will become a billion-dollar “slush fund” in less than four years. One of her major campaign promises is to appropriately tax the 1 percent to pay for all of her “new” government programs. Do you really think the 1 percent will stand for that, especially after paying her six figures for 30-minute talks? She also wants “free” college education at state institutions. Who will pay for that? With student debt currently over $1.3 trillion, how much of that $1.3 trillion will go into default? Sadly, the government holds much of that paper, meaning the taxpayer pays. Where are the jobs for all of those college graduates? Will Hillary bring American jobs back from overseas, or send more away with poor trade deals? During this campaign we have seen the DoJ and FBI negotiate immunity deals and destroy evidence in a case that should have ended in criminal charges, but instead, was shut down because Comey said no reasonable prosecutor would pursue. With everyone getting immunity and evidence destroyed, what is there to pursue? Our two most trusted government law-enforcement agencies failed to follow the law and succumbed to the politics of far left and Mr. Obama. Comey should resign. Lynch, like Obama, probably has her eye on the Supreme Court. If Hillary wins, forget thinking that the Supreme Court will be honest, open, and transparent in its decisions, as it will take upwards of 30-40 years to again see a fair and balanced court. Obama has guaranteed that Iran will get a nuclear weapon, but not on his watch. He also furthered its development by paying for the damn thing. Both Delaware senators voted for the treaty, and Sen. Coons sat on the oversight committee responsible for its development. There are so many “back door” deals that have come to light concerning the negotiation, I cannot fathom how Sen. Coons, an ostensibly God-fearing man, could have voted positively. Just how many of those deals were you aware of, Senator? If you knew of their existence, how could you even consider voting “yes,” and if you didn’t, why didn’t you demand to know if they existed, voting “no” if you did not get a response? Once Iran develops the bomb, our response options will be very limited and scary. Has Hillary said she would scrap the Iranian deal? Obama has also freed the majority of the combatants held a Gitmo. I saw a lot of those men while in Afghanistan, and truly, they are not people you would invite to Sunday dinner. They are and will continue to end up on the battlefield, ensuring a continued war with the Islamic terrorists. Loretta, loving them is not the answer. As an educated woman, I would like to think you have some knowledge of Sharia law, and how women are treated under that form of law. Has Hillary said releasing combatants is wrong? The only significant piece of legislation passed during Obama’s eight-year reign has been Obamacare. He touted it as a cure for America’s health insurance problems, saying it wasn’t a tax, that premiums would decrease, and you could keep your doctor. Chief Justice Roberts, in writing the Supreme Court’s decision which challenged the law’s legality, said Congress has the authority to tax; therefore, the law is legal. Where have premiums gone down, and how many people lost their family doctor? The rates in Delaware are estimated to raise over 30 percent this year after a 20-plus-percent rise last year. How much longer can premiums rise before we have a single-payer system, i.e., socialized medicine? Will Hillary scrap Obamacare? Illegal immigration has long been a problem our politicians have failed to solve. Anyone with half a brain knows that illegal immigrants have long been the fuel for our economy, working the jobs Americans wouldn’t. Now, because our politicians could not or would not enforce our laws, we have a serious problem. I would phrase the question another way: does America have a problem, or does its political elite have a problem? The answer lies with the voting public. If Hillary wins, we will have open borders. The Fed is on the verge of raising the discount rate. While only a quarter to a half percent, the cost of borrowing will increase. We will feel it mainly in equity borrowing. The Treasury Department will definitely feel it in its sale of government securities. Translation, the debt will increase even faster. With Hillary calling for more expensive government programs, how much longer can we allow our deficit to grow? The answer lies in fiscal responsibility, a trait sorely lacked by our political elite, who find it incredibly easy to spend someone else’s money. And the Clintons were broke when they left the White House? Our country is again strained with racial discord not seen since the 1960s. While the Constitution guarantees one freedom of speech, you have to wonder why the president isn’t trying to “lead” the country and bring us together as one nation. His silence is deafening and only causing the wounds created by this discord to deepen and fester. Hillary has seized upon this discord and will follow Obama’s path. Obama’s legacy is one of abject failure that includes loss of American world leadership; destruction of our military prowess; failure to support our law-enforcement agencies; increased poverty; incredibly increased debt; and total disregard for our Constitution. If Hillary wins, we will see more of the same. Then we have the Republican Party. Those idiots lost the pulse of the American public, and to this day, many of their elite continue to say they can’t vote for Trump. Think about those statements. They highlight the reality that all that matters in Washington is power and money. Trump is far from the ideal candidate, but the American public spoke. Why can’t the Republicans listen? Mr. Trump is not a polished politician who causes us to salivate every time he speaks. Quite the opposite, many folks cringe every time he opens his mouth. However, Trump is a leader, and what our country sorely needs at this point in time in our history to survive. Hillary is a follower, a follower of what the almighty dollar can do for her, not our country. Our elite politicians (Hillary) of today have mastered the art of making us feel good while, at the same time, saying absolutely nothing, and generally, lying to our faces. I will vote in November and pray that my vote will be for bringing our country back from the precipice of destruction. Yes, Hillary, I am a deplorable. I only hope the voting public chooses a candidate based on the incredibly serious issues facing this country vice the peripheral garbage that has been the cornerstone of this campaign. If Hillary wins, we go from having a king to a queen. I thought that issue was settled a couple of hundred years ago.

Frank Daniels Retired U.S. Army Reserve colonel Dover