Donald Trump’s Acceptance Speech

In his Republican National Convention acceptance speech Donald Trump painted a nightmarish picture of 2016 America, a vision every bit as dark and foreboding as any zombie apocalypse film.  Terrorists and illegal immigrants are flooding across the border unchecked and running riot.   On a murderous rampage they’re indiscriminately gunning down innocent citizens and law enforcement officers alike.  Good Americans are cowering in fear as our infrastructure, our economy and our healthcare system collapses all around us.  Our military is weak and in retreat from foreign lands.  Our politicians are corrupt.  Our government is rigged.  The world is in chaos and Hillary Clinton is a puppet.  What has happened to our once great nation?

But just when all seemed lost a tiny ray of hope appeared on the horizon.  That single, lonely glimmer of desire soon blossomed into the blinding light of salvation.  Rejoice America, our champion has arrived!  Hail Columbia, happy land, all darkness and despair was vanquished the moment Mr. Trump informed us that he will set everything right.  He shall restore our futures and return our birthrights and do so lickety-split.  He, and he alone, will smite our enemies a mighty blow.  Mexicans be smitten and be gone!  Return henceforth to whence you came and never again darken our fair shores with your raping ways.  Swarthy islamic terrorists, you’re next.  There’s a new sheriff in town, one who’s wise to your muslim trickery.  He’ll strike you down putting an end to your wicked reign of villainy.  Hillary Clinton, your swindling day are over.   Never again will you use your position of rank and privilege to bilk honest American taxpayers.  You’ll be sent packing along with your philandering husband. 

The floor of the convention hall erupted.  People by the hundreds, no, by the thousands were driven wild with joy.  In a  state of mass euphoria they leaped to their feet.   Unable to contain their excitement they clapped their hands frantically, they jumped up and down, they cheered uproariously with unbridled joy.  No doubt that TV viewer by the millions, from one end of our nation to the other, were doing the same.  No savior was ever received with greater love.  No prophet was ever welcomed with more enthusiasm.   

Happy days are here again.  The Donald will fix everything and the best part is it wouldn’t cost one red cent.  He’ll renegotiate trade deals to make other nations shoulder their fair share.  That’s where all the money will come from. Trump will Make America Great Again.   Mr. Trump will be my voice.  He will speak for me.  He will fight for me.  He will win for me.   Will this take long?  Not at all!  Will Trump raise my taxes?  Of course not!  Will I be required to sacrifice in any way?  Not a bit of it!  The only thing I need do is vote for Trump and he’ll handle the rest.  Needless to say the fact that I’m white and male only makes it better. 

The attic of an old house might be piled high with the discarded items of the last century.  Of what use is a hand cranked adding machine or a vacuum tube color TV set?   Who uses a slide rule or tables of common logarithms now that we have pocket calculators?   What use would I have for a butter churn, or a foot pumped sewing machine?   I still own my Kodak Instamatic camera, but they no longer make film cartridges that fit it nor do they manufacture flash cubes.  Who needs it?  But hidden amongst the clutter of useless things might be items of true interest and great value.   The attic of an old house might contain an Apple I computer, or a first addition Superman comic book, or a Leica MP camera, or a 1937 Zippo in mint condition, or even an original Ansel Adams print.  These things are all worth anywhere from a few thousand dollars on up to a million. 

But the mind of an individual isn’t like the attic of an old house where treasure lays hidden by clutter.  All our thoughts, all our ideas, are interwoven, interconnected and interrelated.  None stand in isolation completely alone.  We won’t find hidden gems of truth or beauty in the mind of a racist and fear-mongering demagogue.   If ninety percent of a man’s mind is mush you can be sure that the remaining ten percent is mush as well. 

Last night Donald Trump shot his load.  Over the next three months and sixteen days leading up to the general election hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent and millions of words will be written.  But I don’t believe that Trump will have anything original to add to what he’s already said.  On November 8th 2016 he may well win.  Trump could be the next President of the United States.  If so all you Trump supporter will have your day in the sun.   But at least I’ll have had the satisfaction of knowing that I expressed my feelings here, on this website. 

I’ll conclude this essay with a quote from Senator Ted Cruz speaking at the 2016 Republican National Convention, “To those listening, please, don’t stay home in November.  Stand and speak and vote your conscience. Vote for candidates up and down the ticket who you trust to defend our freedom and to be faithful to the Constitution.”