Dear President-Elect Donald Trump:

Dear President-Elect Donald Trump;

Congratulations on your victory.

I did not vote for you.  I was not a fan of your campaign or your rhetoric but your victory was impressive, albeit unexpected.

Thank you for sending Hillary Clinton home.  I am very happy that she will not be president. 

Thank you for pointing out the pain and frustration of workers around the country who are suffering and don’t feel their interests are being represented.  You gave a voice to a lot of people.

Thank you for changing the status quo and for challenging the Republican establishment.  I have been complaining about them for years.  The crony cozy establishment corruption needs to end and if you are successful in “draining the swamp” of corruption I will be very happy.

I am a former Republican.  Your campaign is largely responsible for the “former” part, but not entirely.  The aforementioned “establishment” is the other reason for my departure.  They did not share my values and, in fact, were not true to their own stated values.

Mr. Trump, I am only one person, but I know I represent the feelings of a large number of Americans.  Yes, I am one of the #NeverTrump people.  I made that clear two months before the Iowa Caucuses so it had nothing to do with any video or “locker room talk”, although that was deeply disturbing.  At this point you could choose to dismiss us; after all you won the election and may feel you have no need for people who opposed your election.  You could do so, but that would be a mistake.

The election is behind us, but the bad feelings on all sides remain.  The liberals and Democrats are obviously apoplectic and rioting in the streets.  People like me are highly skeptical.  You won the election but we are all aware that much of your support was actually anti-Hillary.  The “coalition” that elected you can’t even be called “shaky”, it likely never existed in the first place; people just didn’t want Hillary.

I would like to ask a favor, and perhaps offer some advice.  I don’t know why you would listen but you should.

First, it would be great if you would take the time to address those rioting in the streets.  Yes, they are confused little snowflakes who need a “safe space” and are scared that society will now crumble around them.  But now is exactly the time that you could make a real difference and help start the healing process.

There is a perception that you hate all Blacks and Hispanics and that Gays and Women are under attack.  There is also a perception that all of your supporters feel the same way.  If you want to be a GREAT president, this might be a good time for a GREAT speech to reassure everyone and set a new tone.

Our country is clearly divided.  I know that you do not hear people saying that they hate all blacks or all gays or all cops or all Muslims or every rich person, but there ARE people who hate ALL Muslims.  There ARE people who hate ALL cops.  There are people who hate ALL Black people.  Not you, I know, but these people obviously do exist.  Their numbers may be small, but they exist.  A much BIGGER group of people will say, “I don’t hate ALL of them, but I will point out the statistics which say…”  And the hate is evident on both sides.  The liberal cupcakes in the streets right now are spewing hate that is off the charts, with the occasional “not all” thrown in so they don’t sound like the haters they are.

Hatred and fear of others (especially those “different” from us) is a very human thing and not new or confined to our society.  Look at Sunnis and Shias, or Jews and Arabs.  Look at the irrational hatred between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland.  It isn’t right, but it isn’t unusual.  What is unusual is the level of animosity and distrust in the United States right now.

We have all lived through the past few years where we saw the protests in Ferguson and Baltimore and the Black Lives Matter and Occupy movements.  Every white person in America has been told that they are racist and guilty and need to feel shame.  Every male has been told that he is a cretin and a bigot because of the genitals he was born with.  Every cop has been labelled an unethical racist.  Anyone who is doing ok in this country has been told that they cheated to get what they have and that we don’t deserve it because we exploited the poor to get it.

And that is why Hillary Clinton lost the election.  Everyone is sick of hearing that we are guilty before we even start.  And Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton represented that point of view.

Mr. Trump, I would greatly appreciate it if you would consider telling people that skin color is irrelevant.  Perhaps you could mention that it doesn’t matter what your religion or sexual preference or gender or skin color is, that we are all the same.  Perhaps you could ease their fears that they will soon be living in tyranny.  Again, this might be a good time to give a GREAT speech about coming together.

That is my request.  

As for recommendations, I would like to offer several.

·         Please don’t increase spending.  Please cut spending.  Please present a Budget that cuts spending and the deficit.  You said this was one of your goals, please follow through.

·         Repeal Obamacare and replace it with a free market system, not single payer.

·         Defund Planned Parenthood.

·         Appoint good constitutionalist Justices to the Supreme Court.

·         Don’t raise the minimum wage.

·         Don’t introduce new entitlements.

·         Don’t start implementing tariffs.  We believe in free trade.

·         Please don’t increase our involvement in overseas conflicts that we cannot win.

·         Please don’t violate the second amendment rights of people put on a list without due process.

·         Please work with the Republican Congress to eliminate corporate cronyism, subsidies, and loopholes.

·         Please don’t blame Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton for every bad thing that happens the way Obama did to Bush.

Honestly, I am not confident or optimistic, but if you were to work on the above recommendations I will support you on every one.  I don’t share your views on a lot of things, and I don’t think you share my values but you are going to be our president and I wish you success when your goals align with mine.  I hope that our goals do align and I can support you.

If, instead, we head down the road of divisiveness and animosity then I will be leading the opposition to your agenda and I will be hoping for you to fail, just like Limbaugh said about Obama.

Mr. Trump, you have a huge opportunity right now but you also have your work cut out for you.  The election is over and all of the excuses are gone.  What happens now depends on you.  I do hope you make the right choices.  Godspeed.

Jeff Rakestraw