by Lee Ryan

After spending almost a year down in the Oklahoma area, I’ve been able to get a good handle on the differences between not only the North and South, but also Democrats and Republicans. It’s been surprising.

Both the Left and the Right have their strong opinions, but I noticed that the folks in the South are much less likely to be hateful and rude, when people’s politics differ. That was refreshing, but disappointing, too, especially since I moved down there from Seattle.

Overall, there’s a lot of hubbub about Donald Trump. I can see why. He’s brash, crude and haughty, and doesn’t know the meaning of “politically correct”. However, he’s also refreshing. In a world that has become so constipated in its microscopic endeavors to not offend, we’ve had our freedoms so stripped that we’re becoming sterile, cloned Androids - void of individual opinion.

I don’t believe that Mr. Trump would have been a viable candidate, prior to Obama taking the Presidency, but folks feel betrayed, lied to and manipulated. They’re angry and they want someone to beat the crap out of someone. They don’t dare do it themselves, because the perpetrator would most assuredly get off Scot free.

We were once considered, by other countries, a formidable adversary, a proud nation of achievers, free thinkers and defender of the weak. The United States of America was respected. In a frighteningly short period of time, all of that is gone with the wind. The “wind” of politicians who made all of these promises of transparency and hope and change and blah-blah-blah.

It’s not a wonder that the American people have gone from delicate discussions of their differences to hate speech and foul arguments between one another. Do you remember placing your hand over your heart and facing the flag at the beginning of school? “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which is stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” We are no longer indivisible and we are no longer allowed to freely speak of God. The fact is that we have become a nation so divided that the body can’t even recognize its own arms and legs, anymore. And I don’t believe that this was an accident, either. Divide and conquer.

I don’t particularly like Mr. Trump’s way of communication. He also doesn’t appeal to me physically. His hair rears up like an excited Cockatoo and his lips purse out like a Malawi Blue Dolphin Cichlid. However, I like his raw guts – offensive or not.

Our country has been weakened – morally, financially and physically, and I have to wonder if it wasn’t intentional. There’s just too much that points to the possibility. So, with that in mind, if we’re going to go toe-to-toe with terrorist groups and nations who want to strip us of our freedoms – freedoms which are soaked in the blood of those who fought for it; I want a scrapper on my side. I don’t care if he offends. I can take it. I want a proven leader who will put the fear of God into any group or nation who wants to bring us down.

On one hand, Mr. Trump is a loose canon. Who knows what he’s going to do or say or the mess he could get us into. On the other hand, he’s demonstrated himself as a survivor, a leader, a smart man who could pull us back up by our bootstraps, again.

At least you know what you’re getting and he can’t be bought, because he’s the man with the money to do the buying.

I think that the 2016 election will bring out the masses, like never before. It’s about time, because I have never talked to so many Liberals and Conservatives who all seem to feel the same way “We are the American People. We are scared and we are angry!”