To the editor:

I have been submitting my letters to the editors of our local newspapers for over five years. During that period of time I have, at all times, tried to do my best to express my views considering two fundamental rules of engagement that are a part of my being. Those would be first and foremost tell the truth as best that I can. I admit this is not always obtainable considering the garbage that the internet shovels out 24/7; we are all dependent on this information to get to the truth, so we can only do the best we can.

My second cardinal rule is to present my opinion with all of the respect my opponent deserves. All of those good and honorable intensions went out the window today. What could possibly destroy such an engrained belief? Well, I’ll tell you, and it ain’t pretty. In the Oct. 5 edition of the Lehigh Acres Citizen, there were two letters that especially caught my attention.

The first by Joseph L. Kibitlewski, who wrote “Each day the panic rears its ugly head among the flock of liberals. And just what is the cause of this panic among those that are dressed in thrift store casual?” What the hell is that supposed to mean? Thrift store casual. Is the writer saying that all liberals are a bunch of poor, ignorant souls who can only afford to buy their clothing at a thrift store? I personally believe that is exactly what is being said. Like it or not, by definition that would make you a bigot my friend.

As for the comment “What we are witnessing is Donald Trump putting Democratic candidate through the rinse cycle.” Do you high and mighty conservatives ever look or listen to anything but Fox “news?” The fact is Clinton is ahead and gaining on the “great one” Donald Trump in virtually all of the polls? Remember the last Presidential election; Romney thought he was a shoo-in to win? Fox “news” told him that. Well, guess what, he lost and lost by three million votes, I might add.

Trump is going to lose this epic race for the White House, the only question is by how much. When it’s all over we can decide which setting to set the washing machine for Donald Trump. I think full wash and dry would be appropriate.

Maybe, and that’s a huge maybe, he will hang around to patch up the damage he has incurred onto the Party of Lincoln. If he decides to go on a permanent vacation and leave the scorched earth he has left behind to someone else to clean up, good luck to the RNC. Oh, and by the by, this is actually what he will do, as proved by his long record of screwing one and all who is unfortunate enough to be trapped into his web of lies and corruption.

From what I’m hearing from most sane Republicans, they seem to agree with me. The problem is, even after a brisk cleansing experience they always go back to their “never compromise” position. Remember their famous autopsy report? Boy, Trump shredded that one up in no time.

Well, there is one other very important question – will the severely broken Republican Party be able to regroup and do the right thing and get behind the winner of this race and help move this great country of ours forward as one united country or are they going to continue to suffer from the debilitating condition they have had for the last eight years, which is, of course, let’s do nothing to move this country forward, let’s stop anything and everything Clinton is proposing. One of the other symptoms of this disease is let’s go on a nice long vacation early and of course don’t forget to pick up your pay check on the way to your favorite country club.

The second letter that I referenced to in my opening was the one from good ol’ Dick Kalfus titled “A new president, a new beginning.” Of course Kalfus lists his usual “b” list but this time he crossed the line of commonly accepted yet never spoken rules of engagement of gentlemanly debating. To quote Kalfus words “so you’re voting for Mrs. Clinton. Raise your hand, now use it to slap yourself – you’re a full blown idiot.” This kind of talk is beyond comprehension coming from anyone who has a point to be made on any subject. Well, anyone with half a brain, that is.

OK, let’s summarize what right wing, tea party wacko birds have given us to think about. I am a liberal, just like my father and millions of good red-blooded, hardworking Americans. If you believe what your eyes are telling you when you read such letters, you can only come with one conclusion: We on the left are “all poor souls who can only afford to be dressed in thrift store casuals” and are furthermore “full blown idiots.” With talk like that, who needs enemies?

I will however, take some of Kalfus’ advice, with one major change. Instead of raising my hand to slap myself, I plan on raising my hand to slap down each and every insulting, hypocritical, bigot that has the nerve to advocate the deconstruction of this great country of ours, just because everybody doesn’t agree with them and their slanted point of view.

Our forefathers set this whole thing up as a two-party system for a reason. Yes, we need to have an honest discussion in which the two sides sit down to solve the problems we have created upon ourselves. But we must never forget without bipartisan agreement on the issues at hand nothing will ever get done. If that happens we will have another eight years of what we just went through. Nothing gets done. When this happens our beloved country slips farther and farther into the doldrums, everybody loses.

Don’t believe me? I ask you to consider what the Republican Congress has done about filling the empty chair of the Supreme Court. They have done nothing.

News flash: In another paper a letter writer wrote the usual right wing rant against the Clintons, however he did close with “May God forgive her followers now.” So now all of us liberals are not only poor retches who can only afford thrift store cloths and idiots, we now must be forgiven by God for supporting Hillary Clinton. Really?

This is such an outrageous comment, I can only say I would never ever reach so low in the barrel of scum the Republicans cart along with them at all times even to suggest that my opponent needed to be forgiven by God for his or hers political views.

The only thing I can think of is some people have been watching too much Fox “news” and spending too much time listening to Trump and his web of lies.

Never Trump.

Jim Healy

Cape Coral