Applause for Trump; Trump is wrong; Greene is wrong; school taxes

Applause for Trump

I did not vote for Donald Trump, but I wish I had.

I have never witnessed in my 84 years a president who immediately went to work on his campaign promises.

I am “grassroots,” and I approve of everything he is doing to stop the influx of refugees who do not adhere to our culture, don’t respect our values and don’t belong in our country.

That is not being a “bigot.”

Let President Trump continue on his quest to make this a great country again.

President Trump is trying to rid our cities of dangerous criminals to enable all people (including immigrants) in this nation to safely pursue their American dream.

We were patient through the previous administration, now please give Trump the same courtesy.

Trump is wrong

For six years I served as president of an American non-profit organization whose mission was to aid refugees around the world.

These are people whose lives have been destroyed by violence and persecution. They have fled their homes because to remain meant death.

In Syria, civil war and Islamic extremism have killed 400,000 and created 5 million refugees. To deny these people, after thorough security clearance, sanctuary in the United States defies decency.

The 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees makes it a violation of international law to involuntarily return a refugee to their country of origin.

By definition, a refugee is one who “is outside his country by virtue of a legitimate fear of persecution based on race, religion, or nationality.”

Not a single Syrian refugee arriving in the Untied States during the six-year civil war has committed an act of terrorism in this country.

This presidential directive is illegal, inhumane, and, worst of all, counterproductive.

Greene is wrong

In his Sunday column, Richard Greene advised Democrats to work with President Trump and the Republicans to get things done or lose ground in the next election.

Perhaps Greene needs a history lesson.

Eight years ago, the Republicans found themselves in exactly the same situation as the Democrats today — they were the minority party in both houses of Congress and had lost the presidency.

The GOP responded by reflexively opposing and obstructing everything President Obama and the Democrats tried to accomplish — and then blamed the president for the stagnation. And it worked.

The Republicans won control of the House of Representatives in 2010, the Senate in 2014, and the presidency in 2016. So it looks like obstructionism was a pretty good strategy for the GOP. Could anyone blame the Democrats if they try it?

School taxes

I do not want my taxes to go to charter schools, only public schools. If a parent is not happy with the public school where they live, they can move to another district or pay for private school for their children.

This story was originally published January 30, 2017 at 5:06 PM with the headline "Applause for Trump; Trump is wrong; Greene is wrong; school taxes."