This Historic November

We are at a critical juncture in our nation’s history. Two potential futures have been set before us; two visions for our country that could not be more starkly in contrast to one another.

In 2016, I was too young to vote. I watched the nation elect a self-serving hypocrite with no values, compassion, or relation to the struggles that everyday Americans face. My generation had to sit and watch the chaos unfold in 2016 as our elders let us down. Four years later in 2020, the economy was hanging on by a thread, Covid was ravaging public health due to an abysmal response, our enemies were posturing to unravel us, and our critical institutions were under threat by the Trump administration. 81 million people had seen enough of the chaos to hand Biden a narrow victory in the 2020 election. Four more years later, and the voter pool has many new members who have the chance to make their voices heard.

Kamala Harris, the prosecutor, is pleading her case and bringing the evidence of Trump’s criminality before the people. Her speech at the Democratic National Convention and her performance at the September 10th debate made evident that she has clear objectives for her term that would improve national security, bolster the middle class, and preserve our freedoms. She has a total of 34 years of experience in public service, and has served as a District Attorney, Attorney General, a Senator, and as Vice President. She prosecuted border crime and sought justice for the victims. As the Attorney General of California, she created the Back on Track program that significantly reduced recidivism rates among people convicted of non-violent crimes. Some voters are under the impression that Harris has not achieved a lot as Vice President over the past four years, but a lack of reporting is to blame for the misconception. She has an extensive record. As Vice President, she has had an integral role in developing the Build Back Better act, reducing the cost of essential prescription drugs and insulin, and developing the Bipartisan Border bill to make us more secure. Trump influenced his friends in Congress to vote against the Bipartisan Border bill so that it did not pass through Congress, but she is fighting to revive it. She provided $450 billion in relief to 6 million small businesses - the backbone of our economy, invested $370 billion to combat climate change and expand energy production, extended Medicaid coverage, strengthened social security, and more. Her record bodes well for a productive presidential term. Even if she does not accomplish much, however, stagnation is preferable to sliding into the nightmare to democracy that is Project 2025.

Project 2025 is written by the Heritage Foundation as a policy guide for the next Republican president. Several members involved in writing this 900-page document are close to Trump, and they can easily sway Trump to progress their agenda. The most egregious proposals within this document include:

• Severe limitations on voting access, a cornerstone of free and fair elections

• Mass deportation of immigrants (legal and illegal), ending birthright citizenship, separating families, and dismantling our asylum system

• Placement of the entire federal bureaucracy and independent agencies under direct presidential control - “unitary executive theory”

• A sweeping overhaul of federal agencies, most notably the elimination of the Department of Education and dismantling of the Department of Homeland Security to combine it with other immigration enforcement units in other agencies

• Removal of employment protections from ~50,000 federal civil servants to give Trump the ability to fire them and install loyalists in their place, even for positions that are not connected to politics

• Tax breaks for corporations and the top 1% of citizens with increased taxes for the working class

• Elimination of unions and worker protections

• Cut Social Security and Medicare

• Slashed federal money for research and investment in renewable energy and carbon reduction goals

• Increase in Arctic drilling

• Defunding of the FBI

• Elimination of the FDA, EPA, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which provides critical weather and natural disaster forecasting

• Elimination of aid for families and business to rebuild after storms

• Severe limitation of abortion access, regardless of circumstance

• Ramped up warrantless surveillance of citizens (including monitoring pregnancies)

• Censorship of specific topics in academic discussions, including race, gender, oppression, and elements of history

Project 2025 is rooted in Christian Nationalism. As a Christian, I believe that Christian Nationalism is misguided, dangerous, and wrong. The first amendment to the Constitution states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” We do not have the right to enforce a Christian way of life on everyone, nor do I agree with what Christian Nationalists believe to be the correct Christian way of life. Living a Christian life is supposed to be a personal choice based in faith, because only then is it genuine. When our leaders firmly define what it means to be a Christian and an American, it leaves no room for alternative interpretations and dissent. It is control under the guise of faith. We would become less free in the Land of the Free. Harris herself is a Christian who staunchly decries the dangers of Project 2025 and presents a different path. As Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz put so bluntly, “Trust me, as a coach. When someone takes the time to write up a playbook, they intend to use it.” Trump has attempted to distance himself from this playbook since it has gained attention and voter polls have shown the policies to be unpopular at best. Dozens of members involved in the writing of this document worked for Trump, however, and his name is mentioned in the document over 300 times. He has proven many times that he will not hesitate to lie to make himself and his policies appear more favorable in the eyes of voters. He is unrepentantly deceptive, because he knows he won’t win if he is completely honest about his stances.

Some claim that the economy is suffering under Biden, however unemployment is low (4.2% as of August) and the stock market has reached record highs (DOW at 42,313 on September 27). Our economy is far from perfect, but it is inaccurate to say that the overall economy is doing worse than it was four years ago. Compared to other world economies, the U.S. economy has bounced back quickly from Covid. Those who believe the Harris economy will be similar to the Biden economy do not have much to fear. Harris is not a communist, as the Trump campaign would like you to believe. In the realm of world politics, she is a moderate. She leads among independent and moderate voters in Pennsylvania. She has a well-balanced economic plan to hold large corporations accountable but also support small businesses. Her plan includes a capital gains tax that has alarmed some voters, but the tax will not impact the vast majority of voters because it only applies to those with a net worth greater than $100k. Rich people with the capacity to become campaign mega donors don’t typically align with the candidate that plans to raise their taxes. Several have come out in support of Harris, however, because a lot is at stake in this election. The tariffs that Trump plans to implement would raise grocery prices and spur inflation, making life even more expensive and unmanageable for the 66.2% of Americans who are living paycheck-to-paycheck. Many prominent economists, such as Goldman-Sachs, predict a booming economy under Harris and a dismal economy under Trump. Americans cannot afford the impacts of another Trump presidency. A growing number of young people are finding themselves trapped in a system where they can barely make ends meet financially. With rising costs of living and stagnant wages, buying a house and having kids remain out of reach for an alarming portion of the young population. Harris’s campaign promises to lower housing costs so young people can buy homes. She also promises a Child Tax Credit and paid family leave, both of which will make it easier for parents - especially new parents - to make ends meet. Policies such as these that provide financial relief often beg the question: “Won’t this increase our taxes?” Poorly-made legislation can increase taxes on everyday Americans. Harris’s policies, however, will be supported by increased taxes on the richest Americans, not on the middle class or working class. One of Harris’s strong commitments is to empower unions. History has shown that unions are essential to get working Americans the pay, benefits, and working conditions that they deserve for the value of their work. She is also the only candidate with any healthcare plans. As Trump so crudely expressed during the debate, he only has “concepts of a plan” after 9 years of promising a plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. This is, without a doubt, a low bar. Harris has actually worked to make healthcare more affordable for Americans, and has healthcare-related plans for her administration. She recently worked with Biden to cap the cost of several essential prescription drugs and has pledged to preserve and build upon the Affordable Care Act.

“I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against … those who cheat workers out of their wages, those who oppress widows and orphans, and those who deprive foreigners of justice. They do not respect me,” says the Lord Almighty. - Malachi 3:5

I firmly believe that peacemaking should be the first course of action when conflicts arise. I used to believe that everything could be resolved peacefully, as if diplomacy would always work; as if we could always reason with the adversary. And then I grew up. This came with the realization that some people - and some leaders of nations - have no semblance of an open mind and cannot be reasoned with. They are driven by money and power. As power magnifies the corruption of the human condition and these leaders lash out in violence, the last resort of Military action becomes necessary. We are in a uniquely precarious state of national security due to the nations that wish to see us fall. If Trump wins office, pulls out of NATO, and adopts policies from Project 2025 as his advisors will push for, we will become more vulnerable to our adversaries. Especially during a time where they are developing a strength nearing our own. Having allies that can keep malicious actors at bay and preserve peace is essential to our nation’s well-being and the well-being of less powerful countries around the globe. It has taken decades to build these critical allyships, and one corrupt leader can undo it with terrifying ease. Ukraine is an ally, but it has become clear that Trump refuses to pledge support for Ukraine against Russia under the misguided assumption that he can "end the war in one day." He has not expressed any desire to see Ukraine win, and has shown a troubling level of admiration for Putin over the years. We cannot - and should not - involve ourselves in every foreign conflict, but we must support our allies, and pulling our Military support from Ukraine would almost inevitably lead to their defeat. It is important to preserve our Military resources, but Ukraine’s victory is essential to keeping Russia off our shores. Harris has strongly pledged to continue supporting Ukraine, because supporting Ukraine is the “America First” policy. Trump has shown several times that he has no respect for veterans. He dodged the draft, called our fallen heroes “losers and suckers,” diminished Medal of Honor recipients, and disrespected the rules of Arlington National Cemetery, among other things. We cannot elect a Commander in Chief who makes short-sighted decisions and spews such disrespect. Harris has frequently condemned Trump’s disrespect for our nation's veterans and, in stark contrast, has committed to supporting them when they defend us and when they come home.

Climate change has wrought tangible, costly impacts in communities around the world. It should no longer be a partisan issue, but many are ignoring the increased adverse natural events and their impacts on quality of life because it is inconvenient to believe that we need to change our course. It is especially inconvenient to corporations that profit off of fossil fuel production. Fossil fuel companies have had a hand in politics for far too long in order to protect their own interests over those of the planet. We, tragically, share a planet with them, so we pay the price for their irresponsibility. Their carbon footprint significantly dwarfs the impacts caused by individuals, yet we are lectured on our environmental impact while mass-polluters are coddled. It is important for every person to be mindful of their environmental impact, but the focus is disproportionately on individuals. If Donald “drill baby drill” Trump is elected, he will deliberately throw a wrench into the progress we have made as a country towards a cleaner future. Corporations with no sense of global responsibility to reign in their drive for profit will get a green light from his administration to produce as many emissions as they see fit. Sustainable energy development will be kneecapped in private industry, public agencies, and research - because Trump believes that “windmills cause cancer” and “electric cars don’t go far enough.” He fails to see that sustainable energy technologies are rapidly developing into cheaper, more efficient, and longer-term solutions than conventional fossil fuel energy. Oil is a finite resource and we are rapidly running out. Harris strongly supports progress towards diverse, cleaner forms of energy and sustainability measures to reach ambitious climate goals. She has a realistic outlook on how to achieve these goals while continuing to meet energy needs in the face of rapidly-growing energy demand. She has expressed her intention to preserve fracking to some degree, because it is a critical element of Pennsylvania’s economy. Energy transitions are often slow in order to preserve the local economy in the midst of the change. Her position on fracking may differ from 2019, but the state of the world changes and only the most stubborn people have no differences in perspective across 5 years. Her position is not ideal, but it is only one part of the picture of the energy economy that Harris envisions. She will ensure that we take ambitious, yet steady, steps towards more sustainable energy solutions to mitigate climate change and preserve the well-being of our communities.

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” This is an excerpt from the poem “The New Colossus” written on the Statue of Liberty. It is meant to embody what we stand for as a nation, but we have made it a liar. We are a nation of immigrants, and many immigrants have built lives and careers here since the founding of our country. The rhetoric that Donald Trump has thrown at immigrants since 2016 is contrary to who we are. The more we entertain it, however, the more it infects our patterns of thought. “Mass Deportation Now” signs echo Trump’s callous and serious threat towards our nation’s immigrants. This sentiment can easily devolve into a deportation effort that targets Hispanic people and other groups regardless of whether they are living in the U.S. legally or not. Trump has made us less empathetic to the plight of people who are fleeing abhorrent situations. He has made us deliberately fear those who dare to seek asylum here by way of sweeping generalizations that classify them all as “criminals, rapists, animals.” Who is he to make such misguided judgments of entire groups of people when he has an extensive criminal record? Border security is important, but ensuring a secure border does not mean locking it down and villainizing every immigrant. Harris plans to create a more secure border with better (yet thorough) pathways toward seeking asylum. She will not allow open borders, but she deliberately humanizes immigrants. Good, honest, hard-working people will still be able to seek asylum in the Land of Opportunity. She will resurrect the Bipartisan Border Bill that failed in Congress. Despite its initial near-unanimous support, Trump instructed his allies in congress not to vote for this bill because it would have helped public opinion of the Biden-Harris administration. Trump was willing to jeopardize the security of our border, because it was more important to him to hurt public opinion of Biden and Harris. He is desperate to preserve his image and would rather drag his rivals through the mud than make any meaningful change. It doesn’t matter to Donald Trump how much our freedoms and securities are jeopardized, how many lives are lost, as long as Donald Trump can get ahead. For nearly a decade, Trump has been spewing incendiary rhetoric and false claims targeted at immigrants of this country. We are less safe as a nation because Trump opens his mouth. Many of his followers see his hate as justification for their own and an excuse to act on their prejudices. His most radical supporters and supporting organizations have taken his words as gospel and launched hateful attacks against those who they assume to be immigrants, regardless of whether they are here illegally. Most recently, during the September 10th presidential debate, Trump repeated a baseless, debunked claim about Haitian immigrants “eating dogs and cats.” It has since led to bomb threats targeted towards the immigrant community that have warranted the lockdown of 2 hospitals and the evacuation of two elementary schools and a middle school. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has decried the blatant lies that have thrown the Springfield community into chaos.

“When an alien resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The alien residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself.” - Leviticus 19:33-34

The history of abortion and views on abortion are long and complicated. It is only in recent history (post-1970) that some Christian circles have deemed abortion to be morally wrong regardless of circumstance. Abortion bans do not account for the risky, complex reality that is pregnancy and childbirth. Babies are a blessing, but women go through a lot of pain and sacrifice to bring them into the world. Thanks to modern medicine, we have been able to reduce the maternal mortality rate from about 0.85% in 1900 to 0.022% in 2022 and the infant mortality rate from 24% in 1900 to 0.7% in 2020. After Roe v Wade was overturned, however, some states have instituted abortion bans and maternal and infant mortality rates have increased. In Texas, for example, the maternal mortality rate has risen by 56% from 2019 to 2022 and the infant mortality rate has increased by 13%. More women and underage girls have become victims of rape since the overturning of Roe v Wade. The trauma is not something that anyone should have to experience, let alone continue to experience by being forced to carry their rapist’s baby. Some women with planned pregnancies may be thrilled to be pregnant, only to discover that their fetus is incompatible with life. Carrying to term in this case causes greater risk and prolongs trauma and mourning. Some women become severely ill and/or get cancer, and the treatment process requires that they end their pregnancy. Women who are experiencing a miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, or have had their fetus pass away need emergency care to remove it before a burst fallopian tube and/or septic shock kills her. These essential procedures are often classified as abortions - even if the fetus has already passed away - so they are on the legislative chopping block and women have been denied emergency care for it. For example, Project 2025 spokesman John McEntee asked for a single example of a Woman bleeding out in a parking lot due to the loss of Roe v. Wade. He received over 10,000 responses, many from women who did. Most women do not seek abortions without a significant need. It is an awful, heart-wrenching and difficult decision that a woman often has to make when she has no other options. Women of faith pray for forgiveness. Women with fetuses that are incompatible with life mourn the inevitable loss of their child. Victims of rape (including underage girls) wrestle with their trauma and choose to end the nightmare. Women who are trapped in abusive relationships or financial hardship spare a child from having to experience the same or enter the foster care system. Desperate circumstances such as these will always drive women to get abortions, regardless of legality. In fact, banning abortion has not been shown to lower abortions. Pathways that would truly reduce abortion include improved medical care during pregnancy, better support systems for mothers and children after birth, and reforms to childcare and the foster care system for improved children’s outcomes. Trump has claimed that he believes in exceptions for abortion despite a ban, but he has changed his position too much to trust that he would clarify these exceptions in legislation. He will more likely defer to the severe restrictions in Project 2025. Even if exceptions for abortion in emergency scenarios are clearly protected in legislation, the reality of pregnancy is too complex for these exceptions to cover the full scope of potential emergencies that would require medical intervention. Any level of state or federal government control on abortion will result in women being denied essential care. Harris will restore Roe v Wade and support prospective parents in ways that can reduce the abortion rate more than abortion bans ever could. As she mentioned during the September 10th debate, “one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply-held beliefs to agree that the government should not be making decisions about a woman’s body.” While abortion should remain a last resort, the government should not make that call.

16 former GOP members of Congress, 200 former GOP staffers, Trump’s former Vice President, and several other notable Republican figures in the public sphere have endorsed Kamala Harris over Donald Trump. 40 out of 44 of Trump’s former Cabinet have not endorsed him for a second term, and national security experts have warned of potentially severe consequences if Trump becomes the Commander in Chief again. We must pay attention to the perspective of people who have worked closely with the leaders we place our trust in. They are first-hand witnesses of the leadership’s actions, and first-hand witnesses are unmuddled by the media narratives that we rely on to become informed. When so many of those who worked closely with Trump express that a second term would be dangerous, we should take that as a severe warning.

Trump supporters are elevating one man above the well-being of the country. Christians who are Trump supporters are listening to him no matter how many times he contradicts the teachings of Jesus. Jesus says “You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16), and Trump’s fruit is rotten. “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him: … a lying tongue, … a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community” (Proverbs 6:16-19). Each individual criminal deed that he has committed should be enough to sink his campaign. When did it become excusable for a political candidate to do ANY of the following without losing enough voter support to lose an election?

• Staged a violent coup at the Capitol to try and stop the certification of the 2020 election

• Committed 34 felonies related to falsifying business records

• Held several classified documents at Mar-a-Lago

• Called fallen heroes “losers and suckers,” staged a photoshoot at Arlington National Cemetery, took pictures in front of the graves of fallen soldiers without getting permission from their families, and developed a campaign ad with the footage, breaking the rules against campaign-related events

• Raped a 13-year old girl on Epstein’s Island

• Assaulted Jean E. Carroll

• Paid hush money to a porn star

• Scammed students with a fraudulent university (Trump University)

• And more

The Supreme Court has been stacked with justices who have proven that they don’t have allegiance to the Constitution. The success of our government is dependent on checks and balances, yet the Supreme Court has found it fitting to give the office of President immunity from the law when carrying out “official acts.” On the grounds of loosely-defined “official acts,” Trump has another avenue to weasel out of conviction for his criminal actions. In a second term, he and his allies would interpret that ruling in any way that best reaches their self-serving pursuits. No President should be above the law, and we need a robust system to hold presidents accountable. Who are we as a nation if we have no protections against corruption in our leadership? A Supreme Court that intentionally weakens the ability to hold Presidents accountable is a Supreme Court that is not looking to uphold the constitution or benefit the people. It is reasonable to judge that this court would not have made the same ruling for a prospective President other than Trump. The court is for sale, and Trump's allies have been working to reshape the court in their favor. Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s dissent from the ruling sends a scathing message and a warning for what is to come. The current Supreme Court’s disregard for the Constitution is eerily similar to Trump’s recently-expressed sentiments about this core document that defines us as a country. On Truth Social, he called for the termination of “all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution” to nullify the 2020 election - which, according to him, was a “massive fraud.” He lacks respect for our institutions, and he is a clear and present danger to the very foundations we have built our country upon. 

The electoral college has allowed a few swing states to be the deciding factor in the election. If the election were dependent on popular vote, Harris would have a secure lead. Instead, we have a system that is vulnerable to gerrymandering and places more value on votes from less densely-populated states. The Trump campaign and his supporting actors have been incessantly tampering with the integrity of this election, and swing states are bearing the brunt of their schemes. This campaign is doing everything in their power to cheat their way to the White House. Our enemies are also tampering with the election by spreading propaganda because they recognize that a Trump presidency would make us weaker. Recently, Russian agents were found to have gained a large social media following and have been pushing pro-Trump propaganda in an attempt to influence the election. We should be asking the question - Why does Putin want Trump to be elected for a second term? Trump is easy to manipulate, so there are many dangerous possibilities. As Harris put so bluntly during the debate, Putin can and will “eat him for lunch.”

Several recent analyses by psychological experts have reached the clear conclusion that Trump is in mental decline. Top medical experts are alarmed at his speech and behavior, especially during this election cycle. He is malleable, and will become more malleable to his advisors, his cabinet, and malicious foreign powers if he wins a second term. One of the few things more dangerous than Trump is someone with Trump’s motives, but mentally sharp. To those that may not like his personality but argue that “personality doesn't matter” when it comes to their vote, the personality, demeanor, and communication skills of a President does matter. The President is the face of our country. The President has a duty to project strength and dignity to the world, allegiance to our allies, and a backbone to our adversaries. A second Trump term would spell a bleak future, yet the polls are neck and neck. It is very possible that he gets elected again. Our institutions would weaken, our country would fundamentally change, and we may lose elements of our democracy that we have taken for granted. Free and fair elections, checks and balances on Presidential power, and national security are all on the chopping block. Prominent conservative political figures, such as former U.S. Representative Adam Kinsinger and former Trump White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham, have expressed that this election is not between Democrat and Republican - it is a matter of country over party. Our country can be resilient, however, even if Trump wins and our institutions begin to erode. He may have built a strong voter base, but he will not take all of our minds. He will not take our ability to fight. And we will fight, because there will always be something to fight for as long as we have a nation to restore. If needed, we will pick up the pieces of everything his administration destroys. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Over the past decade, the flag-clad image of U.S. patriotism has been monopolized by a traitorous movement. We are seeing a shift, however, of Americans who are rallying behind Harris and reclaiming patriotism due to her renewed vision for the future of our country. Her vision is one that is truly patriotic. It recognizes that we are a great nation with many strengths, but it also acknowledges that we are not beyond reproach. We have plenty of room for improvement and must take action to make life better for ALL Americans. Our greatness lies in our diversity of thought, expression, and background, as well as our freedom to chart our own course. While the Trump administration seeks to monitor, restrict, and normalize only a narrow view of how to live (antithetical to freedom and the party of “limited government”), Harris seeks to give everyone a seat at the table and the opportunity to seek their own version of the American Dream. It won’t happen overnight, but at least we have one presidential candidate who is ready and willing to put in the work. 

The first stage of healing as a nation is to elect Harris with a wide enough margin that Trump has no leg to stand on when he tries to cheat his way back into office. We will not be lulled into a false sense of security by polls that show Harris is ahead. We will not grow complacent. After all, Hillary was the heavily-projected winner in 2016. Harris taking office, however, will not mark the end of the Trump era or the collective national condition that led him to be as powerful as he is today. We will experience a brief respite, but Trump and his allies will continue to scheme, sabotage, cheat, and lie during her four to eight years in office. Those who were willing to support him may cry foul, incite violence similar to January 6th in 2021, and never accept her presidency. Still, we will move on. We will heal from the condition that has led us to the precipice of a self-destructive democracy—the lost ability to think fully independently. We have a disturbing propensity to go along with the crowd in fear of being othered, rationalizing egregious thought patterns and actions. This condition is not our fault, however. It is convenient to the liars and cheats in positions of influence that we are not taught to identify liars and cheats nor navigate the mind games that they propagate. It leaves us vulnerable to brainwashing. 

When Trump fades into history, our children, grandchildren, and many generations to come will read of his deeds and wonder why our current generation was so complicit; so affirming of his hatred, his criminality, his insanity, the damage he has done to our country, and his attempts to turn our country into an authoritarian state with himself at the helm. If he wins, our nation would slip further away from being regarded as a beacon of freedom and democracy, but rather one that is weaker, less secure, and more fearful with a greater prevalence of crime and domestic terrorism against the “other.” We would be more heavily monitored with fewer freedoms and eroding institutions. This critical juncture of history will be marked as one where we move forward with Harris, a President who will preserve and strengthen our freedoms, or go down the path laid out in Trump’s plans that turn us into an unrecognizable nation. Chances are, we will narrowly avoid the latter. We're not going back.