I am an expat in my own country, and I want to go home.
I’m sitting inside a beautiful snow globe and the events of 2020 are swirling around me and they are all I can see. But when it all settles, I look around, and everything is different…. and not in a good way.
You see, I have lived where we, as a country, are heading. You won’t like it. No one will.
I WAS an expat when I lived outside the United States. It is still fresh in my mind.
I loved Italy so much! Who doesn’t? I have dual citizenship with Italy and America. I moved there as a corporate transferee. I loved the people, the food, the geography, the wine, the charm! But over time, I grew sad. I missed the United States. I was learning that here in Italy, life was very difficult. Nothing worked. The word “efficient” could never be used to describe daily life.
To try to accomplish just one thing a day became the goal. Government agency phones were never answered, lines became more lines, employees were unhelpful and disgruntled. You would stand in line for hours at the post office, because hours were short, and employees were scarce. Most rules were so convoluted the Italians who tried to help me couldn’t explain them. Don’t send me mail or packages. They would never arrive.
If you needed something for your home, it often became a hunt. Products were scarce and shelves were oftentimes empty. Once in a while you hit gold, but that’s about what it cost to get that item—prices were often inflated while salaries were deflated.
The very generous benefit system for the unemployed youth as well as highly restrictive employment regulations had placed unthinkable strains on family life. I know this from firsthand experience. I have family in Italy.
The system was broken.
I loved to travel when I lived in foreign countries. The train system was highly touted and the interstate was fast and fierce. But the words “sciopero” (strike) stunned us way too often, and left us stranded and scratching our head “but why again, this time??” If not the trains, it would be the buses, or the taxis, or the airport workers, and one time it was the toll takers on the highway.
Customer service is not a phrase used in this country. In fact, they laugh at us crazy Americans to insinuate that we might have the upper hand as a customer. NO, this is not America. You may NOT get your money back, return an item or change it out for another size. There is no time to haggle with a customer. The mid-day break, (siesta) is minutes away.
The system was broken.
In Mexico, we learned very quickly to be afraid of the police. We were warned by our Mexican friends to be wary – they were not there to help us. We were robbed three times by the police.
One time we were in a traffic jam and they walked up to our car window and tapped on it. Then they held a gun to my husband’s head and said to hand over all our money and whatever was worth anything. I had my 2- and 3-year-old babies in the car. We would be in Mexico for 4 years.
To have a telephone, your name went on a list that was five years away. But I soon learned, again with advice from my Mexican friends, in a broken system, there are broken ways to do things. My friends trolled the neighborhoods and found an installer at another home. They had a “conversation” and the next day he was at our home. He seemed quite pleased to do the job.
A gaggle of teen to 20-year-old boys with assault rifles guarded the entrance to our neighborhood. You see, WE were safe, because the drug lords living in our neighborhood were safe.
The system was broken.
It is frightening to me that a very vocal and angry segment of Americans want to defund and demoralize our police forces and drive them to the ways of a third world country.
Yes, I loved living abroad. But we yearned for trips back to the US. Government agencies worked. You could call and talk to a person. You could get guidance on what your next steps would be.
Stores were open almost around the clock. Products were in great supply. There was actually price competition for the lowest price on things, and shopping was fun! People could come and go in stores and know that customer service was there to support them. I knew if I were in danger, our police would be there in a heartbeat to help our family.
I knew that we Americans were free thinkers and would never become a country of sheep that were led by fear and chaos — which was so evident in other countries I lived and visited. Today, I live in the US.
And just today, I needed a few groceries and paper goods. I stood in line for 45 minutes to get into a grocery store. The shelves were bare of what I was looking for and have been for days. No word on when they will have product.
I needed to get a check from my bank. After standing in line to get in the foyer, there were no employees, only a remote chat window. I was told I need an appointment and would have to come back because the appointment had to happen online.
I wanted a haircut. The first available appointment is a month away, mostly due to fear and management of optics that need to be instituted.
Remember how I said that to get one thing done a day in Italy was a goal? That very familiar feeling for me is back.
Our system is breaking.
We are heading down a very slippery slope. It’s insidious and will get woven into our country’s fabric before you even realize it. People who don’t appreciate what we have, need to move to another country and try that for a while.
And maybe this expat experience doesn’t resonate with you.
Think about the last time you traveled outside the US. How happy were you when you returned?
If people don’t stand up for our country and Constitution and secure the “Blessings of our Liberty”, it won’t be here for us when we want to return.
Our system is breaking, along with my heart.
You, the reader, don’t know my gender, my race, my religion or my sexual orientation. Believe it or not, contrary to today’s woke messages, that doesn’t really matter. The only thing you need to know is….. I am an American.
Susan Rosapepe is a co-founder and former Program Directorof a city-wide non-profit organization that mentors and recognizes young people in the journalistic and performing arts. She is the daughter of a United States Foreign Service Officer, World War II veteran, and sister of a Vietnam War veteran.
How could a smart girl like you go for a guy like Trump? Don’t you know that only uneducated racist white male hillbillies clinging to their guns and religion are Trump supporters? By this Democrat definition, I am the antithesis of the stereotypical Trumpster. However, as is so often the case with politics, this narrative has no bearing on reality. In my sphere, Trump supporters are women, men, college and high school educated, white, blue, pink collar, rich, poor and everything in between, every race and ethnic group.
The parties hope to direct the voters’ attention to the notable failings of their opposing candidate. This is superficial. In these times with these candidates, the critical thinker must set aside personality and examine each platform and candidate’s supporting cast. Which side most closely aligns with one’s world view, values and hopes for our country? This process has led me to unequivocally choose Trump. I have also asked others, why Trump. What follows is a compilation of my own views and those of these respondents.
The preamble of the Declaration of Independence is an excellent summary of our belief structure as it relates to our rights, their origin and government’s relationship to same. Government does not exist to grant or deny rights, it only exists to protect them. We stand with those politicians who will assist in the protection of our rights and stand firmly against any who would threaten them.
We have a fervent belief in America and its founding principles. As with all ideals we recognize that we must exert constant effort to both achieve and maintain these ideals. We believe our next phase should be more akin to the Renaissance than a regressive revolution based on victimology, fear and loathing.
We believe the concept of personal responsibility is a critical hallmark of a free society as is the free expression of critical thought necessary to exercise it. Those who embrace personal responsibility give themselves the beautiful gift of failure and success, the ability to learn, grow and overcome fear as one strives to develop their God given talents. A dedication to personal responsibility leaves no room for dependence which stifles growth and creativity. Politicians who peddle ideas that foster dependence do so in an attempt tamp down our potential and solidify their own power. They will never have our vote.
We recognize and support that the United States of America is a representative democracy or republic. It is not a direct democracy. As such, we are committed to limited central government, the electoral college and the ability of each State to craft individual detailed policies. We oppose political platforms that wish to transition us towards a direct democracy.
We are patriots.
Ideology
We are in an ideological battle between individualism and collectivism. Collectivism is defined as “the political principle of centralized social and economic control, especially of all means of production”. In a collectivist society the “individual is subordinate to a group, recognizing no rights without the consent of authority”. Socialism, Communism, Fascism, Nazism, Authoritarianism are examples of collectivism.
Individualism is “a social theory favoring freedom of action for individuals over collective or state control”. Individualism is a system of inherent liberties known as unalienable natural rights, rights that cannot be given or taken away by man or government although “one can forfeit their enjoyment through one’s actions, such as by violating someone else’s rights”. The Declaration of Independence embodies individualism.
We believe the choice in this election is simple. A vote for Biden is a vote to transition towards collectivism. A vote for Trump is a vote for individualism and the principles upon which our constitution is based. We base this opinion on the left’s clear attempt to erode our inalienable rights and nationalize large segments of our economy.
COVID
It is my personal belief that the data will ultimately demonstrate that strict, extended lockdowns did not contain the virus and caused serious, unnecessary harm to this nation and its citizens. In addition the politization of COVID is reprehensible. Rather than a review of the indefensible talking points, our goal is to question which candidate will best manage COVID as of January 20, 2021. As therapeutics and vaccines become available and fear mongering is no longer needed to influence the election, will COVID be the issue that dominates the country in 3 months? Doubtful. More likely we will be focused on repairing the damage to our country from both the virus and lockdowns.
Generally, the Democratic politicians tended toward extended lockdowns, mandates and enforcement and had little faith in the individual to manage their own risk and protect those around them. Republican politicians tended to reopen earlier, were more likely to balance COVID and the negative impacts of the lockdowns and exhibited more trust in the individual. Eight states never issued stay at home orders: North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Wyoming and Utah. All have Republican governors. All were thoroughly criticized. All managed COVID as well or better than lockdown states. All experienced less economic trauma than lockdown states.
Biden recommended a nationwide mask mandate and a national response to the virus. He also said that he would lock the country down again if the scientists told him to. Perhaps someone should remind Biden that the President does not have the constitutional authority to implement a national mask mandate, force a State to lockdown or force it to open. Regardless, his statements reflect his attitude. He wants the federal government firmly in control, not the State and certainly not the individual.
Regardless of the rhetoric to the contrary, Trump listened to the scientists and took COVID seriously enough to recommend a 6 week shutdown of our economy. I believe Trump was late in an attempt to balance the risk of COVID against the risk from the lockdowns. He did so, however, far earlier than any Democrat and was heavily criticized for his position. He was right. They were wrong. It is interesting to note that the WHO now agrees and recommends against lockdowns stating “Lockdowns just have one consequence that you must never ever belittle, and that is making poor people an awful lot poorer.”
Should the COVID hit the fan again, we believe that Biden would respond with far more damaging, draconian measures. We choose the Republican COVID philosophy and vote Trump on COVID.
Health Care
Healthcare is a mess and neither side has put forth a satisfactory solution. We will vote Republican because we believe they are more likely to pursue a solution based on free market principles resulting in greater choice. Market based strategies are also more likely to rein in the cost of care and drugs.
Democrats are moving in the opposite direction towards national health care. Given the government’s inability to manage anything efficiently, we believe this will lead to mediocrity and reduced quality of care over the long term as has happened in other countries. The cost of government run healthcare will exceed the cost of a properly designed market based system. The citizens will pay this increase one way or the other. Nothing is free.
Economy
We believe conservative policies of limited regulation, lower taxes and reduced spending serve our free market economy the best and will result in the shortest recovery from the lockdowns. It seems incredibly unwise to saddle our COVID weakened economy with the Democratic platform which promises tax increases “on day one”, increased regulation, increased government intervention in our economy and unprecedented spending. Neither party has displayed any fiscal discipline regarding spending yet there is at least a chance the Republican party will come to their senses and return to their core principles. A serious reduction in spending is essential after the debt generated by the COVID recovery bills.
The First Amendment and Cancel Culture
The First Amendment to the Constitution states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
The free exchange of ideas is under attack in our society. This is evident in our schools, corporations and social media platforms. The increasingly aggressive behavior to control our speech is exceedingly disturbing. Below are a few examples among many.
On some college campuses, conservative speakers are heckled and prohibited from speaking. Others simply ban conservative speakers. Expressing an opinion on social media can lead to dismissal. A highschool student voiced her disproval on Instagram of her school’s decision to hire the speaker Ibram X Kendi. “She posted “Absolutely DISGUSTING that @episcopalhs let this man speak at our school. Unbelievable.” Along with the words, Mackenzie shared a screenshot from Fox News of a Kendi tweet in which he accuses federal Judge Amy Coney Barrett of being a racist for adopting two black children from Haiti. For expressing her opinion, the school has begun proceedings to dismiss her.”
Corporate cancel culture is rampant. For example, Facebook employees demanded an officer be fired for supporting Brett Kavanaugh. Trader Joe’s was attacked for racism. Their crime? They named products Trader Giotto’s, Trader Mings and Trader Jose for Italian, Chines and Mexican foods. Trader Joe’s initially signaled they would succumb to the pressure, but instead, with a rare show of corporate backbone, chose to ignore the cancel culture mob.
Big Tech practices censorship on a daily basis. This is most dramatically demonstrated by Twitter’s censorship of the New York Post article on the Bidens’ corruption. Did they censor the fictional Steele dossier? The constant claims that Trump was a Russian operative? Would Facebook and Twitter censor an October surprise involving Trump regardless of how questionable it might be?
The mob not only wishes to silence us but would like to cancel our history as well. They have gone far beyond ripping down statues of confederate soldiers. Our founding fathers are being canceled and schools renamed that mention them. A mob even destroyed a statue of Frederick Douglas. Assuming this was not ignorance, we should all examine motives of the mob and their masters.
What ideology drives cancel culture? The vast majority of incidents are fueled by leftists. While leftist rhetoric suggests conservatives are intolerant, their behavior reveals who the truly intolerant people are. Cancel culture is a notable cause of division in this country. If the left wins, will censorship and cancel culture increase or decrease? Our bet is it will increase, maybe dramatically. We vote Trump in support of the 1st Amendment.
Be Very Afraid of Public Shaming
What do Cubans, Venezuelans and Vietnamese have in common that would lead many to support Trump? The shaming tactics of the left are eerily familiar. They want no part of them in this country and are voting for Trump as a result. This video by Paul Joseph Watson draws the comparisons between ritual public shaming in America to communist tactics. While there are obvious differences between communist China and America, we believe the objectives of public shaming wherever and however it occurs are the same – humiliation, conformity, indoctrination and control.
We should all be concerned that the cancel culture mob has left their keyboards and taken to the streets. What’s their next trick? Which ideology motivates this group? Leftist. Once again the party that preaches tolerance practices intolerance and intimidation demanding conformity. We will vote Trump in the hope this unsettling movement will cease.
Protests and Riots
Protests in support of racial justice are good and represent a fundamental American right. Violence, looting and riots are not.
The left accuses the right of conflating protests and violence and the right accuses the left of downplaying the violence. Which talking point is closer to the truth? Michele Obama’s own words answer this question. In her “Closing Argument” for Joe Biden, Michele Obama said “they’re stoking fears about Black and Brown Americans, lying about how minorities will destroy the suburbs, whipping up violence and intimidation and they’re pinning it all on what’s been an overwhelmingly peaceful movement for racial solidarity. It’s true, research backs it up. Only a tiny fraction of demonstrations have had any violence at all.” How incredibly disingenuous. The violence resulted in more than 19 deaths, an unknown number of injuries including approximately 700 police officers, upwards of $2 billion in damages, countless lives and businesses destroyed and communities setback for years.
Of course the violence has been “pinned” on the protests. The events were interdependent. Many more would have supported Michele Obama had she said, we support all those who march for justice and will prosecute all those who diminished their efforts with violence. Instead she “pins” the violence on Trump. Is she suggesting that Trump sent Antifa and BLM acolytes to loot, kill and burn? If that is the case why are left leaning organizations supported by the likes of Kamala Harris bailing out those arrested during the riots? How can she “pin” the violence on Trump when it was Democratically controlled cities that allowed it to continue unabated? Did Trump create CHAS/CHOP? Is Trump responsible for the young man who was killed during the “occupation”? Did Trump cause leftists to destroy Portland? Did Trump vote to defund police? No. Michele Obama’s argument is nonsense.
Why? The Obamas and other leftists encourage identity politics, a political movement that promotes division and victimology, weakening our society. A more insidious motive is that chaos breeds distrust in our systems leading people to accept massive change they would never consider otherwise.
Organized, bussed in agitators lead us to believe the chaos and violence was strategic not a spontaneous eruption. This is a serious warning for all Americans. Anyone that uses death and destruction strategically will do anything to advance their agenda. They must be ousted.
Racism
To repeat from an earlier article “Good humans reject racism in any form, uplift fellow humans with compassion and understanding and always offer a hand to those who start short of the starting line. It is always the right thing to do.” The vast majority of Americans believe this statement. Ironically the very success of the BLM organization is a testament to the goodness in America.
Do we have an inherently racist, evil country that routinely kills black people and prohibits their advancement? No. Nor does the data support this growing chant among leftists designed to promote identity politics. While the institution of slavery was evil, we do not believe our country is evil and stand firmly against all those who would have us believe that.
We support Martin Luther King’s statement “I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” We are disturbed by the clear efforts to promote racism against white people, especially white men. Racism is evil regardless of who it is directed against. People and corporations who support racism in order to avoid being called a racist are cowards.
One of the terrible consequences of colormongering and identity politics is the creation of groups who now believe they are victims. Please consider the following question carefully. How many successful people view themselves as victims? We stand against any who promote victimology and support those who encourage citizens through all means possible to reach their full potential.
Which candidate addresses the question of racism the best? Both candidates verbalize their views poorly. Our only option is to evaluate their actions. Trump’s plan is to lift minorities via overall economic success and targeted initiatives such as Opportunity Zones. Biden recommends a long list of government handouts. Which strategy created the lowest level of unemployment among minorities preCOVID? Trump’s. Biden had 8 years to prove his strategy was effective for disadvantaged communities and it was unsuccessful. In fact we believe certain government programs have caused more harm than good in these communities.
Is BLM the answer? A previous article addresses my views on this subject. Suffice it to say that BLM is a self-avowed Marxist organization that supports the elimination of the traditional family. One of the major factors contributing to the failure of disadvantaged minority communities is the dissolution of the family structure. Why should BLM even have a seat at the table much less lead the movement since they advocate policies that would harm our people more? For a broader understanding of racism, poverty and those who profit from it please watch the “Black Wisdom Matters” series by Thomas Sowell and other notable intellects.
And finally is Trump or Biden a racist? Anyone with a modicum of historical perspective knows the Democrats have successfully tanked opponents by tagging them as racist. Why change a successful strategy? We do not believe either candidate is a racist although Biden has certainly said many racist things. If he were anyone else, the mob would have canceled him long ago.
2nd Amendment
The 2nd Amendment states: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
Cancel culture, censorship and shaming are ongoing strategies to limit our most effective weapon, free speech. Is it any surprise that these same folks are attempting to separate us from our actual weapons? Gun violence is a notable problem in America. We believe it is a cultural failure and forced “assault weapon” buybacks will do nothing but begin the process of disarming Americans. Phrases such as Biden’s “weapons of war” are designed to engage people’s emotions and turn off their brains. We implore Americans to resist this emotional appeal and remember that the ability to defend ourselves is an inalienable right. We vote Republican on 2A.
Energy
I wish politicians would say: “The climate is changing. We need an open and free discussion of disparate scientific views in order to estimate which and to what degree manmade and natural factors contribute to this change. The proposed path forward must consider these factors with a simultaneous dedication to the environment, energy independence, national and economic security.” But of course that is a far cry from what we do hear.
The left utilizes an emotional appeal predicting the world will end “as we know it” in 10 years unless we adopt the Green New Deal, a program that cannot possibly satisfy current energy demand thereby weakening us financially and threatening our national security. Is a pattern becoming obvious yet? The right generally dodges the discussion, also unacceptable.
Contrary to the rhetoric, there is not a scientific consensus on the extent and cause of climate change and there is an attempt to silence those who do not agree with the prevailing end of days narrative. An open debate is essential for a successful climate, energy and environmental policy.
A single pronged approach, ie fossil fuels, will fail as surely as do other single focused approaches that neglect to examine contributing factors.
Emotional triggers are being used to drive voters to accept a plan to restructure the economy and increased government control of energy use and production.
We have learned from COVID that incorrect modeling can result in global hysteria leading to the adoption of destructive policy, ie extended lockdowns. We must avoid this grave error with energy policy which is the backbone of our economic and national security.
Carbon emissions have declined in the US while increasing dramatically in China.
America achieved energy independence for the first time in 2019 since 1957. This is a significant achievement that must be maintained in future energy and climate policy.
We believe the right will be more likely to approach energy and climate solutions with the commitment to protect energy independence, the economy and national security. The proposals of the left offer no such commitment and in fact seem to ignore the need to have a homegrown supply of energy before turning off the fossil fuel faucet. The Green New Deal, which Kamala Harris cosigned, also contemplates government control of energy use and production. Simply put, I will not vote for a platform that will irrevocably undermine our country.
Supreme Court
I support constitutionalists on the supreme court whose focus is interpreting the law. I do not support judicial activism and the politicization of the courts. A true constitutionalist will at times anger the left and right. This is as it should be.
There is a more important question. Why has the court become politicized? There is a simple answer, Congress is not doing its job. We implore both parties to work together to pass laws that address issues such as abortion that tear this country apart. Their inability to do so subverts the purpose of the courts. Congress blames divisiveness on everyone else but themselves. Their lack of courage to tackle the tough issues is a significant contributor to the deep divide in our country. Both parties are at fault and sadly neither candidate is capable of bridging the divide.
Voting
The current discussion is synonymous with a descent into the twilight zone. Both sides are hurling accusations of vote tampering. Why is mass vote by mail necessary? Is it unsafe for the vast majority of Americans to vote in person due to COVID? Wouldn’t the current absentee ballot process suffice for those who are at risk from COVID? Do picture ID requirements constitute voter suppression considering picture IDs are required for many less critical activities? Why are some states legally attempting to count mail in ballots postmarked after the election? Are bureaucracies typically capable of implementing new complex systems in a short period of time without incident? Why would either party reduce the number of in person voting locations? Why do we hear complaints that volunteers for in person voting cannot be found yet those who attempt to volunteer are never contacted? Why do banks have vaults for their cash? Why are IDs required to fly?
Character
Trump’s character is a matter of significant debate. We will leave that debate to rage among others. We can agree he generally does what he says he is going to do. He is a patriot and loves this Country. While he refuses to pick his battles, he will stand against the insanity and take the fight to those who perpetrate it. We greatly appreciate that he is politically incorrect and refuses to be canceled. One said “even though Trump is a narcisstic maniac, he is authentic and we know where he stands.” Trump makes it easy for people to hate him and the left has used that to great advantage. He is the greatest red herring of all time.
Biden’s character is a matter of significant debate. Biden’s positions change with such regularity we have no idea where he stands on important issues. Regardless of whatever skills he used to possess, it is clear he has cognitive issues. This makes his choice of VP incredibly important. Many of us became acquainted with Kamala Harris during the Kavanaugh hearings. She did not make a good first impression and has done nothing to redeem herself. She is a committed leftist as her voting record confirms. Nancy Pelosi recently recommended a commission to assist in the application of the 25th amendment. While some thought this was another attempt to remove Trump, I believe this was about Biden. If I am correct, imagine the stunning deceit of a party that would install a President the people rejected.
The stakes are high. In previous elections we chose between conservative and liberal policies to achieve a common goal. We are now choosing between disparate goals for the governance of our country. Do we want to sacrifice our inalienable rights further in a transition towards a collectivist form of government? Or will we remain a capitalist society based on the principles of individualism embodied in our constitution? Please choose wisely. Our future depends on it.
