Yes, I am the ‘old man’ in the title. I will be 72 years of age in July. I have seen and heard it all in American politics. I am an original baby boomer, born in 1946. I have only a vague memory of the Korean conflict, but I was 18 years old when the much criticized war began to escalate in South Vietnam.
Along with hundreds of thousands of other younger Americans, I asked ‘why.’ To this day there is no defined answer to that question. The controversy remains. We will never fully understand why 58,220 young men and women died on the other side of the world. Then, in 1975 our military left in shame. Nothing had been accomplished. Our government deserted the South Vietnam soldiers who had fought side by side with us in the jungles.
In 2003 it happened again. Our president lied about ‘weapons of mass destruction’ in Iraq. Our military invaded a sovereign nation on March 20. We would not leave that nation until December 18, 2011. Our government sacrificed the lives of 4,474 young men and women for nothing. The truth is that we created even more dangerous adversaries such as ISIS by destabilizing the region.
We invaded Afghanistan on October 7, 2001. This was designated as a response to the cowardly attack on civilians on September 11, 2001. The stated goal by the Bush administration was to capture or kill the architect of those attacks, Osama bin Laden. The military forces of multiple nations failed to find the leader of al Qaeda. Finally, on May 2, 2011, the 44th President of the United States found bin Laden’s location in Pakistan. He sent in two teams of Navy Seals and ended the life of America’s number one enemy. As for the war in Afghanistan, it continues to this day.
At home we began to face even more serious problems internally. Income inequality began to widen and America was plagued with growing homelessness and poverty. The middle class began to disappear. Then in 2016 the most immoral and ignorant man in America received the gift of the Electoral College with the aid of Russian President, Vladimir Putin.
White terrorism has grown since July of 2016. This has become the greatest danger to the American people.
In 2012 an unthinkable tragedy happened in Newtown, Connecticut. 20 first graders were murdered along with six educators. The great majority of the American people demanded reasonable changes to our gun laws. Republicans, who are owned by the NRA gun lobby, rejected every effort. One month ago today another lone gunman slaughtered 17 students and educators at a high school in Parkland, Florida. Your illegitimate president promised action. Yesterday he capitulated to the NRA gun lobby.
Both attacks were committed with the use of military assault rifles. Other attacks in Las Vegas and at a church in a small Texas town were also committed by lone gunmen with these same weapons which were purchased legally.
Today students across the nation walked out of their classrooms in protest. They are demanding gun laws which make sense. Republicans and your illegitimate president continue to ignore them.
This old man joins younger Americans and women across our nation and is demanding change in our nation. No longer can we accept talk about ‘change’ in our nation; we must make it happen. We cannot allow a fascist president and a hypocritical political party to rule over us and destroy the future of the nation of our founding fathers. We must have leaders in Washington whose desire is to move our nation forward into the 21st century, not backwards into the 1950’s.
White supremacy and fascist rule are unacceptable and must be defeated. If our elected officials refuse to support the needs and desires of the majority they must be removed from office.
In 2018 women and America’s youngest voters are leading the way. The terrorism of the Trump administration has inspired millions of Americans who were previously inactive to step forward and demand that our government return to serving the American people.
The vast majority of the American people demand laws which will move our nation’s people forward and share the financial and social equality in America promised by the Constitution. Most Americans demand sensible and fair gun legislation. Any politician who accepts money from the NRA; the gun lobby; must be voted out of office. This once respected nation demands that government listens to the people and rejects special interests.
This nation has over 320 million American citizens. If our government fails to support us, they have no reason to be in Washington. Our votes can defeat the enemy, and it must happen in 2018. November 6 is election day. Please vote and also encourage your friends, family, and neighbors to do the same. On November 7th we will learn whether or not our nation will continue to be a democracy or suffer the fate of 1930’s Nazi Germany and become a fascist regime.
Our nation desperately needs more women, and a huge number of younger Americans in Washington. If you are 25 years of age or older, consider running for the House. If you are 30 years old, think about a career in the Senate. A few of you may consider the presidency. If your are 35 years of age; a natural born citizen; and have lived for 14 consecutive years in our nation; you are qualified.
Op-ed by James Turnage
My five novels are available on the free Amazon Kindle app; CLICK HERE
The Truth With No Restrictions 