If the coronavirus infected and caused the deaths of many of the old, white men in Washington I would not be displeased. These failures have harmed our nation for decades.

Another election year is upon us, and once again there is talk of change. I have heard this from 12 presidents. Not once in my nearly 74 years have I witnessed real change. What exists in 2020 is an extension of what was happening in our country when I graduated from high school in 1964, and when I was first eligible to vote in 1967. The rich are getting richer, our government is ignoring the poor and millions of others who struggle to survive every day. The military continues to receive billions of dollars each year; more than one-half of the funding they receive goes to waste. Corporations continue to receive tax breaks although their profits continue to reach absurd levels.

The promises made by your current illegitimate president were once again nothing but empty words. Not a single problem facing America has been addressed in more than three years. Healthcare, education, immigration reform, the opioid crisis, income inequality, and women’s rights issues, continue to exist. Not one thing has been accomplished by the current administration.

The truth is that nothing will happen as long as old, white, fake Christian men rule over our country. Think I’m exaggerating? Let’s look at our choices for president in November.

Trump will have an opportunity to continue his agenda to shred the Constitution and make America a fascist nation. His likely opponent will be another old, white man whose vision of America is the status quo. Joe Biden is the worst possible choice Democrats could make for the future of the American people. Our nation will continue to fall behind the rest of developed nations. The truth about both of these old men is that if you are not progressive, you are regressive.

When this election year began I was excited. Democrats offered choices which included a diverse field. I believed that a woman would finally sit behind the desk in the Oval Office. Once again, that dream has died. One by one younger candidates ended their efforts to win the Democratic nomination. Whoever wins on November 3^rd will be the oldest elected president in history.

Why is this upsetting? Our nation’s average age is 38.1 years of age. Neither Trump nor Biden can possibly relate to the majority of the American people. Women continue to dominate the population by 51 percent, but our nation has never had a female president.

“Change” will never happen in America as long as an ignorant electorate continues to reelect old, white men who have no interest in moving our nation forward. Issues which no longer exist in the developed nations will continue to be problems in America. Protection for the rights of minorities, fair taxation, free or affordable education, free healthcare for all, the rights of the LGBTQ community, full equality for women, including their control over their physical and mental health, and respect for all religions will never become a reality as long as Washington remains in control of backwards thinking men and women.

I was devasted on November 9, 2016. Regardless of who wins this election, I will not be hopeful for my nation on the morning of November 4^th. There will be no change in America. At 74 I am too old to be our nation’s leader. It will be difficult for me to vote for a man who is older than I am.

“The Truth Lives Here”

Op-ed by James Turnage

My eight novels, including “A Little Murder in the Biggest Little City,” are exclusively available on Amazon;CLICK HERE; the Kindle app is a free download