Hillary has never been my idea of likeable, but I’ve always respected her competence. To me, a vote is to hire someone competent to follow through on doing the things you believe a government should do. No one is perfect nor will they be able to follow through on all their promises. But we hope some progress can be made. Hillary has been a decades long fighter for women’s rights, families and social liberties. Teflon Trump refers to her as lying Hillary when, in fact, Trump is the one independent researchers find is a monumental liar and most of what he says is fiction.

I’m old enough to have remembered Hitler, WWII and its outcome. When Hitler and Mussolini took over Germany and Italy at a time of depression with the promises to make their countries great again, seldom could people speak out. The intelligencia were rounded up and incarcerated. No counter arguments allowed.

We are seeing the same thing today. Insults and threats to protestors. The Trump supporters hark back to the brown shirts and Hitler youth who would brook no dissent. Once Hitler came to power, the SS took over with ruthless brutality to all dissenters. If you believe it can’t happen again, you are living in a dream world. It can happen any place, any time. America is a democracy. That means rule by the majority of the people. Europe is seeing this now with the problems of Brexit in the UK, France is faced with the increased radical Muslim population wanting Sharia Law in areas where they are the majority. America could be faced with becoming a theocracy governed by the far right and our lives limited by their extreme Christian beliefs. Our country was stupid enough to re-elect George W. Bush, the worst president in the last century or more. We can be stupid enough to elect Trump unless we unite against him.

If Trump is elected, the entire face of the country will be forever changed. His Supreme Court appointments could put our social reform gains back to the 1950’s. We will be subjected to the disgust and antagonism of our allies for electing an untrustworthy and despicable man.

Unless we speak up, we are always in danger of losing our rights to do so. I believe this is one of those times. What Trump wants is unacceptable and against the very foundations of our country. I for one am willing to speak up. The only way to preserve our freedoms is at the ballot box. Vote!