Earlier this year, things were looking bleak for the Executive Branch of the USA. Before Biden wisely stepped out of the race, I was ready to vote 3rd party.  I was done watching two old men struggle to string together words into meaningful sentences about matters that effect the lives of millions of people.   They both were failing to present a rational case for their leadership.  Trump was a known problem in this regard, but I was shocked to discover that Biden was no longer able to articulate a vision for the country.  I was done with both of them.

Then came Kamala.  I was hopeful.  Hopeful that:

• We may have someone who could inspire change without using extreme language to do it.
• We may actually make long-term progress to deal with the man-made causes of climate change.
• We may be a country that is ready to elect a black woman as President.  This would be practically irrelevant, but symbolically important.
• Our country may not be veering toward autocracy and fascism.
• Trump and his violent rhetoric may be finally in the rear-view mirror in America.

She wasn’t the perfect candidate, mostly because she was virtually silent about climate change and she gave no indication that she was ready to stop funding and equipping Israel and their continued genocide campaign in Gaza. But between the two main candidates, only Harris would even consider a path toward the right decisions on those issues. For me, the choice was obvious.

I also thought it would be obvious to millions more of our American citizens who know about the sexual abuse cases against Trump, the hush money he paid to the porn star, the nonstop shit-show rallies where he pumped his rage and resentment into the crowd, and the promises of actual retribution against those who disagreed with him or opposed him.

We are now confronted with the reality of this man potentially serving as President of the United States once again—a leader who has openly declared his intent to dismantle democratic institutions and strain the fabric of our democracy in unprecedented ways. These intentions are not subject to interpretation; they were the foundation of his campaign.

Much of his platform mirrors typical Republican agendas:

• Appointing corporate allies to lead federal agencies, aiming to dismantle key regulations, including environmental protections.
• Implementing regressive tax cuts, primarily benefiting multi-millionaires and worsening the federal deficit.
• Taking further action to restrict abortion access, even in desperate or extreme circumstances.
• Halting progress on federal protections for transgender individuals.
• Blocking any attempt to set reasonable gun control laws in place, including background checks.

But beyond these traditionally awful plans, his intentions grow more concerning. His words—however garbled—reveal ambitions that could destabilize the economy, fuel domestic unrest, and threaten global stability:

These plans are not hidden—they are openly voiced in his rallies and speeches. He has made it clear what he intends to do.

So if you voted for him and don’t know what he said he would do or about the vitriol he consistently spewed forth in public speeches, do us all a favor and don’t gaslight your friends or family who are despondent over this election result. We were actually listening to the person you elected, while you had your hands over your ears.