A PLACE CALLED HOPE

I came from a staunch Republican father. I sported Nixon/Agnew stickers on my 1960 school binder and I was, then as a 12 year old, disappointed when our guy Nixon lost. Yes, now as the cigarette told me then, I've come a long way baby. My politics was transformed by the late 1960's. Soon my father and I would have political Ali/Frazier angry confrontations as I was sure I was on the side of the angels. Guess what? I was. Government, as FDR decades before me showed, had a place at the table of survival and still does helping those who cannot help themselves. Government can work as it worked for me, a polio survivor. It helped me with rides to school before even the American With Disabilities Act was reality. It helped me with other things my small business family could not afford. I am forever grateful. It cemented my philosophy that we must all be in this together or face the vicissitudes of life alone.

I love the Democratic Party, I love everything for which it stands, I love the myriad of skin colors and variety of human beings of all types it reflects. It tells me that this is the nation I thought it was rather than looking at a Republican opposition drowning in a sea of white. Because our demographics are changing it will reflect that change when Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic first-woman presidential nominee, wins the White House. She will, in November, kick her odious, malodorous and mendacious Republican opposition, Trump, to the curb on his way to the ash bin of history to reside with the other ugly merchants of hate in our nation.

The Democratic National Convention was fabulous despite its division or maybe even because of it. I loved it and could not stop watching. I loved the speakers -- all of them -- including former president Clinton. I loved the testimonies and the killer damage blows to the body of Trump. If you did not think him noxious before you watched the convention you must now. Testimony by a 9/11 survivor with 82% of her body burned whom Hillary visited and never forgot as she never forgot a seven year old now an adult afflicted with severe dwarfism deformity. She has a special place in her heart for the disabled, a far cry from Trump who mocks the disabled as he mocked Senator McCain's military capture. Shame on Trump!
 
New York Senator Hillary Clinton came though for the 9/11 survivors and their families to help with their long-term survival. Almost worse than all of Trump's faux business ventures was the devastating story of the 9/11 first responder who told of Trump's naked greed. He asked where was Trump on 9/11? He was making up dastardly lies of Muslims cheering as the towers fell and of Trump taking money ear-marked for 9/11 small business reconstruction. Trump took funds he never should have ethically received; funds that should have gone to the little guy trying to recoup his small business after the devastating 9/11 ruination of it. Trump did not need the money but took it anyway because he could and because that is who Trump is.

Along with Trump fraud University and Trump fake Institute comes a story through conservative columnist George Will which speculates that Trump's refusal to release his tax returns may be linked to business ties with Russia and a possible connection to Russia hacking of the DNC email. We cannot know if this is true because we cannot see the evidence for it as Trump will not release his tax returns. Does Trump have business ties to Putin? We do not know but would surely like to. Trump is about one thing -- Trump. His children are window dressing glitter on his suit. Trump is unfit for the office of President. Hillary Clinton is infinitely more experienced and more qualified than he. One must simply look at how much experience she has gleaned over decades for its proof and one will know Trump must be roundly defeated in November.

One of President William Jefferson Clinton's most famous remarks is "I still believe in a place called Hope." Now his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, poised to become the next and first female president of the United States is saying the same thing.