The right to support who I prefer

In January, I wrote an opinion letter to the Daily Herald attempting to support many Americans’ rationale to vote for former President Donald Trump in November. My intention was not to glorify Mr. Trump but to specify should the election come down to President Joe Biden and Mr. Trump my vote will go to Mr. Trump (i.e., I also thought I made it clear if a candidate came out of the mist with the aura of other former great presidents, I would change my vote). In that opinion, I wrote my decision was partly based on the president’s age and who would become president should he die in office.

Since the opinion was published, I quickly became the target of other readers (which is fair game) but also received hate mail (which I guess is fair game but unexpected). My first thoughts were I was proud of my words and “good for the people on voicing your own opinion.” However, on second thoughts, one specific comment from a writer all but called me a racist for my reference to Kamala Harris as the possible replacement for President Biden.

My opinion, according to the Newsweek, L.A. Times and Analysis Polling 38 website among others, shows her approval rating at around 41% and disapproval rating around 54%. You can call me what you want, that is called free speech, but that does not mean I will accept being called a racist or other insulting words.

Not too long ago, an old soldier like me wrote to another paper commenting “Americans who say ‘Thank you for your service’ perhaps really are saying ‘Thank you for serving so I and others in my family did not have to serve.’ ” For me I believe most people making that statement are sincere but to all those people I also would like to respond I served from 1965 – 1971 and that earned me the right to vote for Trump and anyone else I support.

Larry Eichman

Addison