A close relative placed a post on her Facebook page recently that urged her friends to do the following: “Don’t damage friendships over politicians who don’t even know your name.  You can have differing political views and still treat each other with kindness and respect.”  A lofty ideal to aim for but unworkable in today’s political climate.

It is a fact that the majority of politicians have no clue of your name or your background.  To belong to the club where you are treated as best pals with elected officials, you must send them a contribution of $1,000 or higher.  The more you give, the more you are treated as blood relatives.  Nevertheless, it is your faceless vote that they seek, and you should do the proper research before you cast it.  Even if you give them a hefty financial contribution, there is not guarantee that they will help you in your hour of need.  To be influenced in your decisions by political lightweights like Taylor Swift or Robert De Niro is to put democracy and your futures in jeopardy.

When I lived in Cuba BC (Before Castro), my mother told me that she and most of her family opted to not get involved in politics because it was dirty business.  Yes, there were many chicaneries orchestrated by Cuban politicians – which ultimately led to a communist take-over of the country by Fidel Castro and his cabal of leftist deplorables.  But this is precisely why turning your back to the corruption of politicians is lethal.  The Cuban population has suffered a 65-year totalitarian dictatorship that has brought them nothing but hardships and a lack of the most basic civil rights — and which has forced millions to vote with their feet by emigrating to the United States.  Thus, if you are a Cuban-American, you – of all groups – should be fully reminded of the title that I chose for my book “Examining the Past to Understand the Present.”  Ignoring the past will bring back the same insanity that they fled from!

Today’s Democrats are in the habit of urging for unity and civility when dealing with those with differing political views.  Joe Biden appealed to the better angels in our nature in his 2021 inauguration speech to bring the country together by uniting Americans.  But during a 2022 speech in Philadelphia, Joe labeled former President Trump and the MAGA Republicans as extremists who threated the very foundations of the Nation.  Candidate Kamala Harris has said that Trump represents a threat to democracy and our fundamental freedoms, and that he will be a dictator if he gets elected to a second term.

But let’s get real.  Today’s Democrats and Kamala Harris are the only ones who represent a threat to our democracy.  Take for example that Kamala received no votes after she withdrew from the first primary in Iowa during the 2020 campaign, and yet she was put at the head of the 2024 Democrat ticket by party elitist who are disconnected from the wishes of their base.  A bevy of party politicians removed Biden from the ticket despite the fact that he received 14 million votes.  Therefore, Kamala was selected.  Not elected.  And this process mirrors the one used by third-world, banana republics like Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba.  Today’s Democrats are the ones disenfranchising the wishes of 14 million of their supporters. Democracy has no other meaning to them than a pathway to gain or retain power.  How undemocratic of them!

Today’s Democrats claim that electing Kamala Harris to the Oval Office will be making history.  I am always leery of paying too much attention to “first’s.”  Many Catholics are regretful of the first Hispanic Pope as many of his policies run counter to Biblical teachings.  For example, Pope Francis claimed erroneously before a Singapore audience in September 2024 that “all” religions lead to the same God – bypassing John 14:6 quote of Jesus Christ saying “No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  Being the first Pope should take a back seat to following Biblical precedents.  Similarly, electing Kamala Harris to the White House simply because of her gender would be a serious mistake – especially when many in the Democratic Party claim to ignore what a woman is.  Kamala has clearly demonstrated by her record that she is the most unqualified vice president in the Nation’s history.  Her flip-flops on policy issues demonstrate the vacuousness of her beliefs.  Her previous positions on price control, open borders, Medicare, and taxes show that her core principles are Marxist-influenced to replace capitalism with an all-socialist, big-government-controlled economy.

There are some Americans that while disliking Kamala refuse to pull the lever for Trump on November 5^th.  Their claim is that they can’t stomach Trump’s personality.  But who’s running the country in the next four years has nothing to do with personality traits.  It has everything to do with getting things done.  No one is asking any voter to go out on a date with Trump.  It is up to Melania to like or dislike her husband’s personality.  What matters is whether the next president will enact policies that will make America energy-independent, lower the price of gasoline and groceries, restore respect to the U.S. by our adversaries, lower interest rates, enhance safety in neighborhoods, and honor our Judeo-Christian values and traditions.   It has everything to do with putting Americans’ first in line, rather than “illegal immigrants.”

Today’s Democrats have called the 74 million MAGA Republicans who voted for Trump in the 2020 election by various pejoratives: deplorables, irredeemables, racists.  Their dislike for MAGA Republicans is solely based on the differences in their political ideology.  Rather than engaging or tolerating differing viewpoints, they opt to cancel them from society.  Honest disagreements become calls to destroy the enemy.  It doesn’t matter if those treated as the enemy are family members.  From the first inkling of MAGA sympathies, they become pariahs to other family members and to society at large.  And these enforcers find support from the fake-media outlets, from some online platforms, and even from several elected officials who should know better.

So, I urge my MAGA compatriots to stop paying attention to the sirens’ song to unity and peaceful Kumbaya by today’s Democrats and well-meaning but ignorant Good Samaritans.  We got a job to do on November 5^th.  The choices in this coming election are between freedom or slavery, capitalism or socialism, Christianity or atheism.  There is too much at stake for the survival of our Nation to be worried about turning the other cheek.  These are the times for action and not for embracing the tranquilizing drug of a don’t worry/be joyful mindset.

I leave you with a famous quote by former President Ronald Reagan: “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.  We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream.  It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.” MAGA warriors.  This is your time.  This is your duty.  Elect Donald J. Trump and other Republicans on November 5^th! Your children and grandchildren will owe you a huge debt of gratitude!