I received a solicitation for $1,000, $1,500 or $2,000 for the “Trump Make America Great Again Committee.”

It’s a good bet that he has spent that much for lunch, so why should I contribute to this billionaire? Besides that, he deeply offends me. I took the opportunity offered by the free postage envelope to vent my anger at this deeply flawed person.

Here is what I wrote back:

 

Dear Donald J. Trump:

As bizarre as it is for me to receive a letter from a billionaire soliciting money from me, I must decline.

It would be easy for me to just discard your letter and forget about it, but something in your recent history prevents me from taking that option. Twice in the past year you have disparaged the sacrifice of our military, both the sacrifice of service members and the sacrifice of their families. I can’t let that go without commenting.

First, you announced that Senator John McCain was not your idea of a hero because he was captured. I thought you had been misquoted, but you said that.

After you were roundly criticized because you had received several induction deferrals and never served your country, you defended yourself by saying you feel you served since you attended military school.

This is where I must strongly resist descending into pure sarcasm. Any sane person would not equate military service in war with military school unless your instructors regularly shot real bullets or surface-to-air missiles at you. Commander McCain refused early release from captivity in North Vietnam because other prisoners had been there longer than he.

This segues perfectly with my second reason for not sending money to your campaign. As Mr. Khizr Khan recently said, what have you sacrificed?

Your reply was that you work very hard and contribute to veterans’ causes. Well, that doesn’t match Senator McCain’s sacrifice or the sacrifice of the Khan family who lost a son in Iraq.

You must apologize personally, publicly, and sincerely to Senator McCain and to Mr. Khan and his wife for your thoughtless comments. Until then, there is no possibility that I would consider contributing to you or voting for you.

I’ve voted for Republicans all my life, but not for you this year!

 

Michael Waldron is a retired lieutenant colonel, U.S. Army, who was born and raised in Niles. He previously served on the Niles Community School Board of Education. He can be reached at ml.waldron@sbcglobal.net.