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By LESLIE GRAY
Mercifully, another election has come and gone after almost two years of rhetoric, diatribe and media hype. While in fact, Hillary Clinton won the election by the popular vote, she did not win the Electoral College vote. This begs the question, since this is the fifth time in our history this has been the case, perhaps the Electoral College should be done away with and the voice of the voting majority, the people’s voice, should be heard and accepted as final disposition?
But, does that mean the election was/would be rigged? Since the outcome was in his favor, Donald Trump hasn’t been whining; therefore, we must assume all is good. Unfortunately, it means he will be installed in the White House when, in my opinion, he’s not fit to occupy a reasonably appointed outhouse. He has bullied, slandered, ridiculed and demeaned women, minorities, elected officials and their families, veterans including a high-profile prisoner of war (veterans are sacred ground in my world) and folks with disabilities.
Trump is a shining example of how NOT to pay federal income taxes for 20 years, not producing recent tax returns and bragging about grabbing women’s genitals. Oh, and don’t forget the “F-off” and referencing women’s bodily functions in dehumanizing vocabulary. What a shining example of presidential qualifications we have here!
We can presume that he will use the Oval Office as his bully pulpit for the next four years unless he finally crosses the impeachment line. However, one might ask where that line would be considering the obvious new low in national standards, values, morals and ethics held by some that revere this self-proclaimed deity. Trump has been Ground Zero for the polarization of this country during the campaign, and he would now like everyone to work together to accomplish his agenda. Difficult when there is such a great divide in opinions.
Apparently, to some degree, I’ve been influenced by the negativity spewing from Trump during his campaign. Bankruptcies, divorces, failing to pay his fair share of taxes based on wealth/income and playing the sexual field whilst a married man … What a guy!
The reality here is the fact that he’s in for the next four long years and if the extreme right doesn’t hold sway on Trump’s agenda and actions (other than furthering the Trump Empire), he may actually accomplish some things. If he falls back to his base negative instincts and bias, divisiveness will prevail and little will get done. America will then realize they have been victim to one of the biggest, if not the biggest con job in American political history. With Trump as president, the future of the United States of America is uncertain.
As a matter of record, during President Obama’s tenure 11.9 million jobs have been created. Certainly, they are not all great, high-paying positions but are better than what existed when he inherited the overwhelmingly negative issues impacting this country at the time of “W’s” — Mission Accomplished! — exit. Manufacturing and technology have been outsourcing jobs for years and retailers are pushing online shopping to eliminate jobs, thus eliminating the need to pay higher overhead/wages and increasing their profit margins, commonly referred to as the “American way.” Let’s face it; there are many folks who simply don’t want to work as evidenced by our local newspapers front-page spreads of jobs but no applicants. Conversely, how many times have you called a vendor, be it a credit card company, your insurance company, customer service (a misnomer these days) anywhere and listened to the following: “Your call is important to us and someone will be with you as soon as possible — or your wait time will be ‘X’ number of minutes, call back later.” I don’t want to call back later. My time is also important to me. Hire competent, warm living bodies to fill necessary positions to service your customers! Expand that job market and pay decent living wages! It will pay dividends as it is magnified throughout the local and regional economies.
Having said this, a widespread sense of entitlement exists in this country and that has been increasingly evident for years. Stop draining the systems put in place to help those who actually need help. Montana, for the best part, is a bastion of Republicanism and the Flathead Valley is certainly no exception, including the Daily Inter Lake’s editor, Frank Miele. We are all aware of the fact that Montana wages are ludicrous and in so many cases can barely support an individual, let alone a family. This isn’t anything new and has been in evidence for decades under administrations of both parties. The fact that many jobs are seasonal and dependent upon tourism is unacceptable. While great for students and established seasonal workers, not so much for the rest of us. The tourists go home and the jobs go away, especially in Northwest Montana and Yellowstone area. It shouldn’t be the price to pay for living in the “Last Best Place.”
For years there have been local letters bashing Democrats and liberals. Others suggest (via signage) that liberalism is a sign of mental illness, but I would consider that a better diagnosis than chronic, terminal stupidity. I would only say, be careful what you pray for, you just might get it, in spades. I ask that God bless our great country. He has seen us through so much for so long. I believe we’re going to need those blessings like never before.
Gray is a resident of Lakeside.