Guest: Why you should vote for Donald Trump
Sixteen months ago Donald Trump announced his candidacy for president. Since then, we have learned more and more about Mr. Trump, both personally and politically. We have learned of a man who, despite some flaws, clearly has the best interest of America at heart. We have learned of a man who speaks his mind and doesn't belong to special-interest groups. We have learned of a man for whom you should vote on Nov. 8.
America is not the shining city on a hill that President Reagan so eloquently called it three decades ago. Our economy is in decline or stagnating. The number of citizens on food stamps is a staggering 43 million. The economic "recovery" we are experiencing is the slowest recovery in terms of GDP growth in over seven decades. The unemployed or underemployed numbers are up, thanks to Obamacare, bad corporate tax structures and trade deals that encourage companies to relocate overseas. Our public schools are failing, even as we spend more per pupil than almost any other developed nation in the world.
The question voters are faced with is whether or not they want to maintain the status quo of a feckless Obama administration or change paths and return America to the greatness and globally respected country it once was. Mr. Trump is exactly the person who can achieve that.
He is the candidate of change this year. He is the candidate who cannot and will not be bought by special-interest groups or foreign governments. His tax plans, both individual and corporate, will spur economic growth. His plan to secure our borders will ensure that we are safe and only those who should legally be in this country are here. The Supreme Court justices, of whom he may appoint three or four, and federal district judges and appellate judges, will be in the vein of Antonin Scalia, keeping the constitution at the root of all the courts' decisions.
Secretary Clinton's plans are diametrically opposed to Mr. Trump's. In one of her many highly paid speeches to Wall Street (which she fought tooth and nail to keep under wraps), she spoke of a hemispheric economy with no borders. She wants to bring in tens of thousands of Syrian refugees, with no plan on how to vet them properly. Make no mistake about it, she will lead us to a single-payer health care system. Mrs. Clinton will also appoint judges who want to legislate from the bench and lead America down a secular progressive path.
While very few people, including myself, can defend Mr. Trump's comments in the Access Hollywood video, he is a candidate who has simply said distasteful things. Meanwhile, Secretary Clinton has done distasteful (and arguably illegal) things. Her utter disdain for our national security and laws has been apparent during her 30 years as a public servant and is especially apparent recently with scandals involving the Clinton Foundation, mishandling of classified emails, destruction of servers and devices and her inactions in Benghazi.
In my opinion, there is no other choice than to cast your ballot for Donald J. Trump. He will secure our borders, strengthen our military, take care of our veterans and treat them with respect, abolish Common Core State Standards, provide tax relief for the middle class, give working families tax breaks for child care costs and return Americans to the standing in the world that we once experienced and made us proud to be Americans.
Mark Fratella is a precinct committeeman in Addison Township and was an elected Trump delegate to the Republican National Convention for Illinois Congressional District 5. He also served on the RNC Credentials Committee and currently serves as the Trump Education Coalition Leader.