Draper: We can’t ‘pledge allegiance’ to Trump

For those of us whose family has fought in every war from the Revolution to the present, it is shocking to think that some of the American people would even consider putting a man in office who has so disparaged our brave men and women in the military.

Having had a father and six uncles who all served (one of whom went in with the first wave at Omaha Beach and was awarded a Bronze Star) and having been married to a Marine Corps sergeant who served three tours in Vietnam (and not behind a desk in an air conditioned tent, like Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance), I know the sacrifices they made to protect our freedoms.

We have heard people talk about the cost of food, but they ignore the fact that climate change is driving those costs. This time of year, a large part of our produce comes from Florida. With the devastation from two hurricanes, you can look for produce to go even higher. Droughts in Texas have wiped out the melons we get in the winter. Tornadoes devastate grain crops in the heartland, as droughts and storms in California wipe out growth there.

As Donald Trump and Vance talk about bombing Mexico to eliminate cartels, they have no idea how much of our food comes from this trading partner. Have they ever set foot in the grocery store, other than for a photo op?

Trump talks tax cuts for the wealthy. Some of the richest people in this country — Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, the Walton family (Walmart) and Jamie Dimon — all say that the rich should pay more taxes. Trump’s plans for outlandish tariffs would drive inflation through the roof and take us back to the 1930s and another depression. For someone who supposedly graduated from the Wharton School, he has no understanding of economics, as evidenced by his many bankruptcies.

All we have heard from this candidate is ranting, disjointed speeches, name calling and lies every day. His foreign dealings and desperate desire for money mean that he can be bought. He rants about immigrants, evidently forgetting that two of his wives are immigrants and so is Vance’s wife, plus his grandfather was a German immigrant who lost his German citizenship for cowardice and made his money running a brothel in Canada.

This man is not America. As Gen. Mark Milley said, “We don’t pledge allegiance to a person.”

Doris W. Draper

Houston

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