Donald Trump has said and done some disturbing things — put toddlers in cages and betrayed the Kurds, not to mention his open fondness for brutal dictators and white supremacists. But perhaps the most shocking behavior of all has been his purposeful lack of action in addressing the pandemic. He dragged his feet for months, inexplicably blocking attempts by his own experts to keep Americans safe. His slow-motion response has resulted in needless deaths and crippling delays to our economic recovery. The U.S. has the finest scientists and doctors in the world, but the worst COVID-19 statistics. Countries whose leaders swiftly adopted early testing have fared considerably better. Imagine where we’d be now under different leadership. Our schools opened without risking the lives of our teachers, our airline and tourism industries recovering instead of facing bankruptcy, our seniors back in church and hugging their grandchildren.
Time and again, Donald Trump has demonstrated that he lacks the necessary judgment required for effective leadership. His over-sized ego and distorted sense of reality simply will not allow it. Now, he himself has caught “the hoax.” The chaos has taken its toll and I am ready for this exhausting national drama to be over with. On Nov. 3, I will vote for a return to normality.
— Anne Terry
Anchorage
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