Character and decency still matter

Four years ago, I wrote a letter to family and friends asking them to vote for a return to decency, to vote for Joe Biden. Our leaders should represent what is best in us and conduct themselves in a way that reflects the values we teach our children. Donald Trump, a dishonest narcissist and philanderer never met that standard. This disqualified him from leading our nation. My concerns were justified when, on Jan. 6, 2021, he violated his solemn oath to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

I believed that Trump’s disgraceful performance marked the end of his political career. I was wrong. And I am more concerned than I was four years ago. Trump, now a convicted felon, is far too old. He does not have the physical or mental capacity to serve as president. But my greatest concern is that we stand to lose our democracy, which for 250 years, patriotic Americans have fought and given their lives to defend. (Trump thinks they were “losers” and “suckers.”) And behind him there is an unlikely alliance of foreign autocratic leaders, wealthy individuals like Elon Musk and religious extremists who think they would benefit by the loss of our democracy.

President Biden has not been a perfect president, but he has brought decency back to Washington politics and he and Vice President Kamala Harris repaired the international relationships that had been strained during the Trump administration. At the same time, their economic policies sparked the American economy, and it has become the envy of the world, with inflation tamed, manufacturing returning to our shores, unemployment at record lows and the stock market at record highs.

If Trump returns to power, all of that progress will be reversed to the detriment of the middle class. It has happened before. George W. Bush inherited a strong economy with declining debt from the Clinton administration. By the end of Bush’s second term, the economy was in ruins. The Obama administration turned things around and left a strong economy to Trump. By the end of his single term, the Trump economy was in shambles.

Having voted for Republicans all of my life — from Barry Goldwater to George W. Bush — it has been difficult for me to accept this reality. But the Reagan administration’s promise that low tax rates would drive high tax revenue, and that tax breaks for the wealthy would trickle down to the middle class was naive. Republicans still promote that theory, which further enriched the top 1% and increased the national debt while middle-class income stagnated.

Should Trump win, it is certain to happen again. His plan to solve all of our financial problems by increasing tariffs is irrational, wishful thinking. Tariffs are taxes, which will increase the cost of foreign products. A $1,000 Apple iPhone produced in China will cost $1,600. Apple could absorb some of that cost but not all. And the cost of smartphones manufactured elsewhere will increase.

Most people accept, as I did, the Christian worldview that was instilled in our childhood. But life’s experiences rearranged my thinking, and I have come to appreciate Humanism, which seeks rational ways to solve mankind’s problems. Over the past 250 years, the rational thinking of Humanism has brought advances in our understanding of the natural world, medicine and human nature that are astonishing. Because of its remarkable success, I believe it offers the best hope for humanity. That is my belief, likely different from yours.

We all search for philosophical and religious views that fit our unique experience and conscience, but none of us can be certain. After our mother briefly died 35 years ago, she was revived and lived a few more days. She said something that has stayed with me: “I want to go back … no one knows.” No one knows. We all have our beliefs, but no one can be certain. Our Constitution guarantees the freedom to believe as we choose. With that guarantee comes the obligation to respect the personal beliefs of others. Therein lies the greatness of our democratic republic. Becoming a Christian nation would diminish us. Throughout history, the Christian majority in our nation has honored our secular Constitution. It should stay that way.

What I am certain of is this: if we lose our democracy, we will regret it. Look at the autocratic countries of Russia, China, North Korea and Hungary and compare them to the liberal democracies of Finland, Denmark, England, France, Germany and the U.S. By any measure — freedom, income, wealth or personal happiness — citizens in democracies rank far above those living in autocratic countries. In autocratic countries, only the oligarchs who have accumulated extreme wealth and live a life of luxury are better off. The autocratic nations are spending millions to subvert our democracy. It is not that misery loves company; the reason is that the leaders of those countries are threatened by the success of our democracy. Putin invaded Ukraine because he cannot abide freedom on his border. He fears it will spread into Russia.

We are at the center of a worldwide struggle between democracies and autocracies, between the people and the powerful. The wealthy — especially would-be oligarchs like Elon Musk — can abide the loss of our democracy. We the people cannot. I implore you, reject the angry rhetoric of Donald Trump. He denigrates our society and undermines our democracy because it threatens his autocratic ambitions.

It is ironic that many Christians admire someone so un-Christlike. Christ preached love and compassion. His most important message was, “love thy neighbor as thyself.” He did not use fear or intimidation to spread his message. Trump preaches hate and resentment. If Jesus were alive today, he would vote for Kamala Harris.

Please join me. Cast your vote for Kamala Harris. Character and decency still matter.

Bob Topper, syndicated by PeaceVoice, is a retired engineer.