Dear Donald

Dear Donald Trump,

I have to admit, despite all your faults, I don’t dislike you.  You have pizzazz, boldness.  You’ve brawled your way from the outside through the Republican primary and our national election to win the presidency, something few believed could be done.  Your utter negativity and gravely voice worked.  I don’t mind your fancy hair-do.  Your wife is pretty. Maybe you’re not as bad as I and others fear.

Lest readers think I am only and always negative on you, here are some things I like and hope:

I like it that you echoed Bernie Sanders’s populist resentment at lost jobs and mysterious trade deals.  I’m from decayed Detroit.  The old machinists are dying out; the young don’t even get shop in high school.  It wasn’t just the jobs that we lost to other countries, it was the know-how, the sense of contributing, the sense of worth.  You and Bernie spoke to the loss.

Relearning and reestablishing local production of local needs keeps the know-how, money, energy, and community we need.  If huge corporations want to sell their stuff here they ought to be keeping the ability to buy it here too.  Are we in this thing called America together, or is it winner-take-all and let all others flounder and die?

I like it that you’ve been a Democrat before and even switched sides some times.  Maybe you should do that now, or at least listen to all views, including them in a cooperative solution to our economic, ecological, social and spiritual plight.

Audacious?  Yes, like you.

If you surround yourself only with the Alt Right, with conservative Republicans, with fossil fuel money and other such billionaires, if you ride the surge of hate you taunted, if you ignore the obvious, ominous reality of coal-forced (and other such forcers) climate change, if you side with a belligerent attitude of winners over losers and have no idea what a win-win mindset and society would be – then your place in history will be an embarrassment and a shame.

But if you included Bernie Sanders in your cabinet, if you accepted the offer of help from President Obama, Elizabeth Warren, and key members from the Black and Hispanic communities, you could be the leader who truly makes America great again.

I like it that you won without having to kiss up to lobbyists and Republicans.  You’re not beholden.  You can become the heroic agent of rescue and revival America needs.

All appearances to the contrary, I’m hoping you, Mike, and Kellyanne are not the incarnations of the “white devils” brother Louis Farrakhan once warned us of.  There’s nothing wrong with blonds and whites as long as they don’t think they’re more worthy than other races and then act that way.

What will your long-term legacy be?  As President Obama leaves office, I want to compliment him at being such a dignified representative of his races.  Blacks will always be proud of him and should be.  But as a white, I’m proud of his whiteness too.  He will be loved and honored by history.  Will you?

My hope is that the little bits of trust and backing you’re getting in this honeymoon period will be welcomed by you. You might be a better man with a better vision than we so-far fear and resent.  I hope you somehow see my little blog and take it to heart.

Surprise and unite us.  This is your opportunity.