Dear Mr. Trump

Dear Mr. Trump,

     I am a 52 year old Arizonian.  I am writing you this letter seeking clarification on your personal views on an issue that has become very important to me and millions of other Americans this election.

     A little background.  I have been a small business owner most of my life, or I have worked for other small business owners.  Fiscal responsibility, tax equality, control of my own health care and retirement are all very important issues to me.  Safety in my home, at a shopping mall, theater, NASCAR race, or any public venue has also become one of my priorities.  When I became old enough to vote, I   registered as a Republican and stayed that way until George Bush selectively allowed his religious beliefs to influence his decisions.  I believe there is no place in any representative government elected by the people for religious influence.  That was when I changed to become a registered Independent.
 
     I don't need to tell you the 2016 Presidential election has been one of historical significance and the outcome will have a direct impact on our future and how the history of our country will be written.  I don't feel Hillary Clinton is in any way an appropriate choice to run our country.  Not because she isn't qualified, because she has shown a history of making conscience choices during her political career that are better for her than our country.  Gary Johnson has some great policies and seems to be as qualified as anybody to lead our country, but you know as well as I that he has no chance to win the general election.  That leads me to my dilemma, you see Mr. Trump.  I am a 52 year old gay man.

     Being raised by a Religiously and Politically conservative family from the mid-west in a home town of 1500 people posed some real issues for admitting that I was a gay man.  No sane human being would chose to live a life this hard, a life this full of compromise, a life this full of deceit, a life this full of stress, and a life this full of fear this is no choice, I was born this way.  Not only was I raised in a conservative family, I am still a very conservative individual, I have very conservative views and values.  I am not big on gay pride celebrations or equal rights lawsuits.  I take a more personal approach to influencing the people I meet and make as friends that the gay community is nothing to fear, and does not have and agenda that includes taking rights away from others.

     I am not a fearful individual.  I have been standing outside a gay bar in Louisville Kentucky when somebody drove by in a pickup and shot into the building.  I have always believed that I am responsible for my own personal safety.  With the growth of Isis, and radical Islamists and their infiltration throughout the world  I am no longer so sure that I am completely in control of my own safety.  I do not normally patronize gay bars.  I never have been a big drinker and never made bars a big part of my life style.  Since the shooting in Orlando  I find myself very aware of the people around me, the exits, even who sits close to me at restaurants and who is coming in and out of the entrance.

    What I am most afraid of though.  Is that in the near future, if I am fortunate enough to get married to the 2nd great love of my life.  I will come home one day and that marriage will no longer be valid. You see, when I met the first great love of my life, marriage was not legal in the United States.  Sadly that relationship ended when my partner died from liver failure due to Alcoholism.  10 years later I have been lucky to find love again.  Marriage is a huge step, a huge responsibility, a huge commitment.  Not one to be taken lightly.  My Parents, and Grandparents have been faithfully, successfully, and lovingly married for over 50 years.  At my age, that's not likely, but I do intend to live a long healthy life, married to one partner.  I would like to enjoy that marriage without fear that the religious right, and the Republican party will not take that right away from me.

     So Mr Trump  here is my question for you.  I am a serious individual and its a serious question that I believe deserves an honest answer no matter what it is.  What are your personal views on equality for the gay community?  When you choose Mr Pence for Vice President and you represent the GOP Platform.  Which states,

 in the words of the late Justice Antonin Scalia, was a “judicial Putsch” — full of “silly extravagances” — that reduced “the disciplined legal reasoning of John Marshall and Joseph Storey to the mystical aphorisms of a fortune cookie.” In Obergefell, five unelected lawyers robbed 320 million Americans of their legitimate constitutional authority to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman

    We pledge to defend the religious beliefs and rights of conscience of all Americans and to safeguard religious institutions against government control. We endorse the First Amendment Defense Act, Republican legislation in the House and Senate which will bar government discrimination against individuals and businesses for acting on the belief that marriage is the union of one man and one woman.

     I fully realize that gay rights are honestly not even a blip on your radar with all the other items on your agenda if you become the next President of the United States.  However knowing that does nothing to put my mind at ease.  Or the minds of the 3.4 percent of Americans who identify themselves as LBGT.  Thats basically 8 million Americans.  It is estimated that 22 percent of those 8 million voters are registered Republicans or vote on the Republican side of the ticket.

     We don't want preferential treatment.  We just want to be treated as fairly as the rest of the population.  We are Doctors and Lawyers, Teachers and Bankers, Athletes and Race Car drivers, Farmers and Ministers and we don't have an agenda that seeks to force our beliefs on any body else.  We just want to be accepted and respected the way we are.

     So Mr Trump please take a moment to address this issue with a direct answer for those of us that would like to know.

               

                                           Sincerely,

                                            Dan Klaudt

An example of sheer stupidity.

   I have watched the video of the recent police shooting in Miami,  You can clearly hear the victim saying the guy has autism, he has a toy truck and not a gun and there is no danger.  This is from a video that is taken a further distance away that the police officers were.  I have stayed pretty much out of the black lives matter, blue lives matter discussion because frankly I think most of that is bullshit. 

This instance though is different.  A non English speaking, deaf, mute, monkey can CLEARLY see there is no need for gunfire.  NONE.  The North Miami Dade Police Union is a glaring,   Let me say that again  GLARING example of what is wrong with police unions today. 


    "Fearing for Mr. Kinsey's life, the officer discharged his firearm, trying to save Mr. Kinsey's life," says John Rivera, president of the Dade County Police Benevolent Association. "And he missed, and accidentally struck Mr. Kinsey."

    Saying it was an accident and   the officer meant to shoot the Autistic man is an example of just how little common sense, oversight, and how over reaching the police unions are.  This is an instance when the police union and the City of North Miami should throw that officer under the bus.  He should be blamed,  Held accountable, fired, charged whatever it takes to make him pursue another vocation. 

    We as the general public rely on the Police departments to hire sane, intelligent, strong, safe individuals who can keep us safe.  That was not a split second decision.  the video was several minutes long, you can here them discussing what to do with the victim.  If the officer is not sane enough,  smart enough, or anything else he should never have had a gun, been in that situation, or been hired by the police force to begin with . 

    I realize this will be an unpopular opinion, I fully understand and support law enforcement in general having several friends that are involved in law enforcement.  Trust me they have my utmost trust, respect and support.  This instance requires us to place blame squarely where it lies. 

    The Victim in this instance was FULLY complying with what the officers asked of him.  He wasn't running from a crime, he wasn't pulled over for a driving violation and acting like a smart ass, he has no record, he was not armed he was holding up his hands, being compliant and begging not to be shot. 

     In this single instance  the victim is allowed any and all reparations that he can get. 
The city of Miami, the Police Union, The officer should get their checkbooks out and their pens ready. 

Disgusting Americans

   I mistakenly thought that with the primary season over,  The powers that be would try and settle into some sort of dignified attempt to conduct the election with some sort of class. 

  I couldn't have been more wrong.  A group of old guard Republicans had to try and take over the convention and force another candidate on the voters who voted for Donald Trump.  If you needed a reason to abandon the Republican party you needed to look no further.  I know one of those delegates personally who wanted to replace Trump.  Like him or not.  Trump earned more votes that any or all of the rest of the candidates combined.  Your arrogant view that you as delegates know best and should appoint another candidate makes me sick and is a prime example of what is wrong with the Republican party today.  Your simple and insulting belief that you know better and you will force your beliefs on the rest of them.  You are not fit to be a delegate and should be removed from your position. 

  So Trump chose a running mate that is viciously against gay rights.  That's a problem.  Its also a problem that Clinton takes Billions of dollars from countries in the middle east that persecute homosexuals daily.  So does the RNC.  That is a fight that we will have to wage until the end of time.  There will come a day when we will have to march with dignity in the streets of this nation to keep the rights that some courageous few have fought so hard for us to get.  Our right to marry wasn't won because we fought for it, It wasn't won because Obama supported it.  It was one because 6 courageous couples joined forces and took the fight for marriage rights to the supreme court.  It started years before that when Florida Governor Lawton Chiles refused to sign the 1997 defense of marriage act.  Both parties are the same on gay rights.  They give it lip service when it serves their cause.  As long as the religious right exists in this country,  we will have to fight for gay rights Not preferential treatment, Equal rights. 

  What appalls me the most is the gay communities vicious assault on Melania Trump.  It almost leaves me speechless.  She was born in Communist Slovenia,  if any of you think that was so easy go there for a while and report back how that works for you.  She found a way out by being a model and posed naked for a photo shoot in European GQ.  So what.  I applaud your judging her for it, but by all means then don't be upset when people judge you for your bedroom activities, for marching with your cocks and asses hanging out in gay pride parades,  for riding in the back of pickups simulating fetish sex.  We all know that is a much more dignified activity than posing naked while your working as a model.  Even gay I would rather see a naked Melania Trump than a 400 lb man wearing nothing but a rainbow colored jock. 

  The way I see it we have no good choice in the election.  They both lie, they both steal. and they take money from sources that are not in our best interests.  The third choice.  The libertarian from New Mexico is brilliant and would make an awesome president and doesn't stand a snow balls chance in hell of getting elected.  Most of you don't even know who his is or what he stands for.