By Mike Mitchell
For The Herald
Yes, I voted for Trump. And yes, I’m an old white guy, too.
Born in the early ’50s and raised in the ’60s. I come from a military family. My grandfather served in the Marine Corps during WWII in the South Pacific. My dad served in the Navy during the Korean War. I served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.
My oldest son served in the Army as a Special Forces Green Beret and did two combat tours in Iraq. My youngest son served in the Marine Corps and did two combat tours in Iraq. My daughters spouse spent over thirty years in the Army and did numerous combat tours.
I have a culturally diverse family. My son and daughter are Pacific Islanders. My oldest sons spouse is African American. My youngest son is married to a Native American. I have two Hispanic-Caucasian grandchildren, two Native American-Hispanic grandchildren (adopted), one Pacific islander grandson andthree Caucasian grandchildren. I love them all very much and equally.
After completing my four years in the Marine Corps I attended college on the GI Bill. I was a single father of three from the time they were in diapers. I worked at a county job for 30 years. I never made a lot of money. Not even enough to scrape by on. The only way I was able to afford day care and food on the table was to rent out a room in my home for the first ten years of home ownership.
After that I worked a second job for twenty one years. Usually working every night after my day job, and most every weekend. I never once thought of asking for a handout. I just did what needed to be done. Didn’t ask anyone to pay for my college or forgive the expense of college. I earned it. Never asked the government to feed my kids. Never asked them to pay my day care. Never asked them to pay my house payment or rent. It never entered my mind. Ever.
Just an average guy making it through life, making ends meet.
What I don’t understand is the hatred and vitriolic talk thrown at me because I voted for Trump. I’m no different than most all Republicans I’ve ever met. I’ve never voted for a Democrat. I don’t believe in what they believe in. Why does that make me a racist, bigot, Nazi, white supremacist, ignorant, stupid, and so many other foul things the liberals brand me as.
The party of inclusion, they say; the party of peace and love; the smart people, they keep saying.
This newspaper is filled with columns written by these people calling me names. I’m none of them. Nor are the vast majority of Republicans any of these things.
Do I agree with Trump on everything? No. Do most Republicans? No. But we just happen to believe for the most part he’s doing a good job. He probably wouldn’t make a good pastor. But I voted for him to run the country.
If morality was was such a big issue we wouldn’t have elected John Kennedy or Bill Clinton or a number of other presidents over the years.
I voted for the person I thought best could run the country. I stick by my vote.
So please, quit calling me stupid, mentally ill, Nazi, racist, etc. Remember, you’re the smart ones. The peaceful, loving ones. The all-inclusive ones. Or are you?
Mike Mitchell lives in Stanwood.
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