The Post-Journal
Being On Trump’s Mailing List
Oct 5, 2024
Rolland Kidder
This list would be “my badge of courage and honor”
which I could frame, if I want to, and hang in a prominent place in my home. Of
course, the name “Trump” is at the top of this list since he says that these
two Democrats hate him, and “they hate you, too.”
“The Radicals, Socialists, Communists, and Globalists
around them–are out to get me because I am fighting for you.” Etc. etc.
He then urged me to send a contribution suggesting nine
different amounts ranging from $35 to $3,300, and signs it: “God Bless America,
Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States.”
A couple of questions may arise in your mind. First,
why would such a piece of hate/fear directed mail even be sent to me? The
answer to that, I believe, is that I have been known to split my ticket when
voting and, on occasion, have contributed to the campaigns of Republicans. Mr.
Trump may have misconstrued that into my being a supporter of all Republicans,
including him.
Perhaps this mailing list I am now on came from the
fact that in the past I had supported our former Congressman, Amo Houghton, a
stalwart Republican, who was a good friend and an exceptional Representative
for the Southern Tier in the Congress.
If that is the case, I am sure that Amo must be
“turning in his grave.” In my last conversation with him before he died, he was
outraged that Donald Trump with his divisive rhetoric had taken control of the
Republican Party… a political institution which Houghton loved and had been
affiliated with for his whole life.
A second question may be: “When did the Democrats
become “radicals, socialists and communists?” The answer is that they aren’t
and never have been. These are just made-up words to stir up more disunity and
fear.
The only other time in our history which compares to
ours currently, in my view, was in the 1840’s and ‘50s. The Whig Party was
taken over by fear mongers who were warning that immigrants, Catholics, Jews,
foreigners, etc. were trying to take over the country. Whigs became known as
the “Know Nothing Party,” and eventually disappeared from the face of our political
landscape. A new party was born, the Republican Party, opposed to the extension
of slavery into the new and expanding territories of the West. This Party,
under Lincoln, fought a Civil War over the issue. After that, it developed its
traditional conservative, pro-business policies as the nation expanded.
Can that Republican Party again find its roots? Can it
again become a party advocating for smaller government, engagement in
bi-partisan foreign policy (not isolationism,) and in advancing pro-business
policies. Can it move away from demanding allegiance to only one person, and
from the politics of vitriol, personal attacks and target lists?
In large measure, that is what this current election is
all about.
And, if you are wondering whether or not I sent in any
money to be on this special target list…the answer to that is “not one thin
dime.”
