MY TAKE

     Did you watch? Did you laugh? Did you understand it as I did, that though the Democratic Party and its candidates might differ on the details and the extent of some policies or issues, they are all united in several areas. First and foremost, Trump must go. He must. He is dangerous, divisive and degenrative. Kamala Harris told him it was okay now for him to return to watching Fox news.
     The candidates, mostly in a nonantagonistic debate other than for a few moments, also agreed that health care needs a great deal of work. How far each goes might differ, but in the end they all appeared to understand that a compromise somewhere would have to be made, even as reform took place. My take - one cannot go from A to Z without stopping somewhere in between. A culture shock is not necessarily the way to go.
     Each candidate agreed vehemently that guns must go, must have changes in the law. It is not impossible, as we had a law with gun control, but when it expired the NRA and cowardly politicians caved and here we are, watching our kids get shot, our citizens and visitors run down, slaughtered. 
     Yesterday a few small clips appeared that showed Trump at his usual insensitive behavior and his sheer idiocy. It was particularly telling that he announced about the Taliban coming to Camp David right around 9/11. The same people who killed 3,000 Americans, left a huge dent in our hearts and souls forever and caused the death of so many of our soldiers. But there he was and then there he was not as he suddenly called off the negotiations, a path he always takes - say, say again, and then cancel and on to some other stupidity.
     He tweeted away and before and after his appearances at memorial ceremonies, he tweeted outrageous and insensitive tweets, and his conversations that day were just beyond beyond!No one and nothing was safe, from the Federal Reserve Bank to anything that crossed his tiny mind. Did you know that Melania has a son, oh, then he catches himself and mutters "together" - really? He forgot that one time he and Melania made this son, Barron by name? He further sullies his appearance with sheer nonsense. How many of you out there know of any child who will come home and say, "Mom, I want to vape". Uh huh, thought so. This man is such a dork, so damned stupid and unaware. Furthermore, as a Language Arts teacher I forbade the use of 'very' in essays and compositions, forcing the kids to find more expressive terms. This dude should have been in my classroom for he would have learned to stop using that word over and over again, ad infinitum, ad nauseum. But hey, the man says we must protect our children from vaping, about which he just heard, but I guess the dangers facing our kids from assault weapons in the hands of crazed white supremacists is another matter. Hey, so many victims are 'others' so not so bad according to his book of values. Intolerable!!
     All the while, his distortions of America and what it means continues. Now we have courts in tents, Star Chamber proceedings, as observers are now barred from entry and observation. He has made it practically impossible for anyone to enter America legally, I guess, unless one has the skills necessary for the country which will allow you a special visa. You know, like the one granted Melania for her talent. What, you ask, is that talent? I dunno. Nothing vital. Models are a dime a dozen so hey, what the hey, what is one more or less!
     Now we are turning away little babies, babes in arms, denying their citizenship and why? Because they are born via a surrogate for gay couples. See, no man can carry a baby yet, so a gay couple kind of needs a surrogate, but this seems just no good to that fool and his benighted fans. You know, these kids must be dangerous, advanced so at their tender ages. It is sickening. 
     At least all the candidates agree that there must be immigration reform, humane procedures and a recognition that immigration is the lifeblood of the country, and tellingly, there were children of immigrants standing there running for the office of the President of the United States. In addition, they mostly all came from middle class and lower class, economically speaking. Many worked their way through school. Many fell and stood up and tried again and that is America! They are us.
     Time for a change, my friends. Timefor us to realize that the immigrants he rants about are simply different looking versions of our own parents and grandparents. They worked hard to improve their lot and the lot of their children. And so do the new immigrants. They try to do it right, even as they are stymied by the new insane rules and regulations specifically designed to hinder them all, stop our new lives from enriching our country.
     Time to change and time to elect a sane, thinking, caring person. Time to elect people who speak for the people, are with the people, and are just as having had it with that man as we all are. So enough with the destruction of the environment, the opening up the last refuge in Alaska, for poisoning our waters and the air we breathe. Enough of the dangerous chemicals now allowed to flow once more into our lands and waters and air. Enough!!
     Register. Work for a candidate. Get out the vote. Work the elections. Be a watcher. Drive a person to the polls. Get this man gone and let us have our country back. It has been gone far too long already.