I am a man. I was born one over seven decades ago and I have never had a desire to change.
Some people are unhappy with their sexual status and change it. If that makes them happy, I see no problem. The world has really changed in 70 odd years.
I am a registered Republican, but I have not always been. In 1960, in college and living in New York City and being able to vote for the first time I worked for the election of John F. Kennedy. I did not know about him and Marilyn Monroe. I am not a prude, but if I had I would have had second thoughts.
All of us volunteers were crazy about his ideal wife, Jacqueline, and the thought of cheating on her, in my innocent young world, would be as unthinkable as voting for Richard Nixon. My Republican registration does not mean that I always vote a straight party line. If a candidate from another party is well qualified and has some strong independent ideas and the interests of the people at heart I have no problem voting for them. This is especially true for judicial races.
I study the candidates carefully. After 40 years of practice I find that a smart, experienced lawyer with a good temperament, who has been found qualified by the bar association, is usually a better choice than another who has just held appointed positions, has not tried cases, doesn’t know the burden of running a law practice and the struggle to keep clients content.
During this year, Democrats have made a lot up about an alleged Republican “War on Women.” That is a made-up scam if ever there was one.
Like the vast majority of men, I love women. I think God got it right when he created them. And, anyone who really believes that the Republican agenda is to set the clock back on women’s rights is drinking the wrong cool aide.
As the father of three women I do not want to see their rights take a step back. Social trends and legal precedents of the last 50 years will not be reversed for the general population.
Rather, now it is up to individuals to make life and death decisions based upon the rights we have while being mindful of duties to ourselves and others. There is no Republican war on women. There may have been one once, but women won it easily.
What I find particularly amusing is that the Democrats put former president Clinton forward as a leader of the party and a knight- protector for women in the war.
Clinton, as good looking and charming as he might be, was a terrible choice and shows the lack of talent in the Democratic Party. Clinton was a known predator on women when he was governor of Arkansas and then as president.
He demeaned the office of the president by having his White House “romance” with Monica Lewinsky in a small anteroom next to the oval office and lying about it under oath.
He paid a huge settlement to Jennifer Flowers to settle her claims and, along the way he had his license to practice law stripped from him.
This year both presidential candidates have presented themselves to the voters. An objective analysis shows that Mitt Romney should be the next president.
He has a depth of intelligence and real life experience that the president does not have and likely will never have. Romney went to college and then graduated from Harvard Law School and Business School at the same time.
His school transcripts are open for review and not sealed away. He is a proven leader of the type the U.S. has always been proud of and needs today. He is a patriot who succeeded in business and politics. He made his way in business by giving away his inheritance, working hard and making good.
He earned what he has and I do not find that bad. He and his family make annual charitable contributions larger than most of us will earn in 20 years.
In fact, that concept has always been an American dream to be imitated if possible. That is, work hard and you can succeed in American and then share with others. I would like one person to explain to me why that is bad.
He became governor of Massachusetts as a Republican and brought some unity by putting forth policies that the Democratic majority accepted.
He successfully managed an Olympic program when others had given up on it. Just imagine the possibility of failing companies like Solyndra getting a half a billion dollars in government guaranteed loans if someone with Romney’s experience had been in charge of it rather than Democratic Chicago politicians who wanted only to give favors to Obama fundraisers.
Obama has been a disaster in foreign affairs. He insults or ignores our traditional allies (Great Britain and Israel) but makes ill defined deals with the Russians, allows China to manipulate its currency and bows to Saudi princes.
He has gradually weakened the U.S. military to the point where we are no longer respected and certainly not feared in a world filled with people who want to destroy us.
The loss of an ambassador and three other Americans in Libya shows how disrespected we have become. Incredibly, Obama once said he wanted to change the national anthem because it was a warlike song and scared people. In this world what we need is strength and to sometimes scare some people.
Romney will give that to us abroad and will strengthen us at home. He is my choice for president.
And, my real fear is that if something were to befall President Obama, vice president Biden would succeed to be president. Just think of that.
Alan J. Reardon
East Williston
