I am 72 years old. I thought I had seen everything. Now, every day I read stories about vile and disgusting events occurring in my nation which make me gasp for breath. I was raised in a nation where understanding and compassion were the norm. As I grew older I was even more proud to be an American. I attended schools where religious freedom was respected. I celebrated with my gay friends as a slow process began to protect their Constitutional rights. My black and Hispanic friends were accepted in colleges and universities. I later learned that several of them were contributing great things to our society. Although there was a long way to go, I was thrilled to see new opportunities offered to the women around me. As I read the newspapers there were fewer stories about racist acts and hate crimes. Then Donald Trump was nominated for the presidency by a cowardly group of fake-Republicans.

Today a fake organization of Christians, calling themselves the “religious right” are in collusion with the Trump Party, they are waging a war on Muslims, the LGBTQ community, and women’s rights. With the leader of the white supremacist movement living in the White House the worst of our society have come out of the shadows and blacks, Hispanics, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, women, and others are in fear. Hate crimes have risen over 800 percent since Trump’s nomination.

I read about acts of pure racism every day. Police have been called to neighborhoods across America for the sole reason that a black person was near their residence. In one case a young black man was mowing lawns. In another incident a state legislator, who happened to be black woman, was approached by police as she was canvassing a neighborhood near her own home. Is this the America in which you choose to live? If the answer is yes, you have decided to support Trump’s America and not the America of our founding fathers.

Under the fascist rule of Donald Trump, our nation has gone bat shit crazy.

Get up and fight or choose to sit on your couch until fascism destroys every minute piece of democracy which remains. Your vote, your future, and your choice.

Please tell others about my blog; the truth lives here.

Op-ed by James Turnage

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