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Former Secretary of Defense James “Mad Dog” Mattis recently released his biography. Here is an excerpt from his book.

“What concerns me most as a military man is not our external adversaries; it is our internal divisiveness… We are dividing into hostile tribes cheering against each other, fueled by emotion and a mutual disdain that jeopardizes our future, instead of rediscovering our common ground and finding solutions. All Americans need to recognize that our democracy is an experiment and one that can be reversed. Tribalism must not be allowed to destroy our experiment.”

I basically agree with General Mattis’ description of today’s America and its greatest obstacles. Let me address the retired general directly.

“General Mattis, you can save the ‘great experiment’ by having the courage to tell the truth. Although you and General John Kelly sacrificed some of your respect by serving in the White House under the worst president in history, you are the only two members of his inner circle with integrity. If the two of you told the truth about Trump’s failures and his lack of loyalty to all Americans, the country would be rid of its biggest mistake no later than January 20, 2021.” The “would be fascist” in the White House is the greatest danger to democracy in history.

Democracy cannot fully develop in a cloud of secrecy. Mattis joins other politicians who lack the courage to tell the complete truth about the failures and crimes of the men and women we elect; expecting them to serve us; all of us.

America’s past is filled with atrocities not told in our history books. Massacres of Chinese immigrants, former black slaves, and Irish men who came to America to help build the railroads and other infrastructure have been hidden from younger Americans. The truth is that racism and bigotry have always been America’s “dirty little secrets.” It is why we never have and never will be a great country.

I am old enough to remember the nicknames for non-whites in America growing up in the 1950’s and 60’s. It wasn’t only the degrading term “niggers,” Hispanics were called “spics,” Italians, “dagos,” or “wops,” the Chinese, “chincs,” and Japanese Americans, “japs.”

I am also old enough to have watched change in America. The Civil Rights Act was signed when I was a senior in high school. I admit that growing up in Los Angeles made me a little naïve. I didn’t live in the Midwest or the south where the law which demanded complete equality for all Americans was virtually ignored.

I choose to live in the west for many reasons; the weather, the absence of tornadoes and hurricanes, the beauty and variety of oceans, lakes, majestic mountains, and mysterious deserts. I also live here because racism is less prevalent.

Mattis and Kelly must be honest and tell America that Trump is the leader of white supremacy in America. He cannot be allowed to be our nation’s president. His goal is fascism, and he continues to move our nation into its dark and despicable past.

It is mandatory that every eligible voter go to the polls on November 3, 2020. We can save and change America.

Tell everyone; “the truth lives here.”

Op-ed by James Turnage

SOURCE

Image courtesy of DonkeyHotey

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