Today, I'd like to talk about a U.S. president.

History will remember his administration as a polarizing one that threatened journalists1, held children in detention centers2 and invoked obscure laws to prosecute whistleblowers3. Nevertheless, good things also happened.

Below, I'd like to summarize some milestones of this president's administration presented as a matter of fact, not opinion. Each of the following statements is supported by official statistics or data published by third-parties, like The Wall Street Journal and the Cato Institute.

Crime

The U.S. homicide rate dropped to the lowest level since 1957 1 ; and

; and Line of duty deaths among U.S. law enforcement officers dropped to the lowest level in over 50 years2.

Economy

The U.S. stock market reached all-time highs, including record closings for the S&P 500 1 , Nasdaq 2 and Dow Jones Industrial Average 3 ;

, Nasdaq and Dow Jones Industrial Average ; Median household income reached an all-time high, even after adjusting for inflation 4 ;

; Real GDP growth (inflation- and seasonally-adjusted) hit the highest level since 2004 5 ;

; U.S. consumer confidence reached the highest levels since 2004 6 ;

; U.S. retail sales hit the highest level ever recorded 7 ;

; Corporate profits reached the highest level ever recorded 8 ;

; Investment in private domestic businesses reached an all time high 9 ;

; U.S. industrial production reached an all time high 10 ;

; Apple moved production of its Mac Pro from China to Austin, Texas 11 ; and

; and Small business earnings reached the highest levels since before the Great Recession12.

Education

National mathematics scores of 4th and 8th grade students reached the highest levels recorded 1 ; and

; and For-profit companies were funded to provide vocational job training2.

Employment

U.S. job openings reached the highest level ever recorded 1 ;

; Private employment reached the highest level ever recorded 2 ;

; U.S. manufacturing employment grew at the highest rate since 1984 3 ;

; Unemployment claims fell to the lowest level since before the 9/11 attacks 4 ; and

; and African-American5, Hispanic American6 and Asian-American unemployment7 fell to the lowest levels ever recorded; the unemployment rate for women dropped to the lowest level since the 1950s8.

Energy

U.S. oil production reached the highest level since 1972 (after two decades of decline) 1 ;

; U.S. natural gas production reached all-time highs, growing at the fastest rate ever recorded 2 ;

; A record level of nuclear energy was generated domestically 3 ; and

; and U.S. coal exports reached the highest level ever recorded4.

Family Planning

Teenage birth rates fell to the lowest level ever recorded 1 ; and

; and The U.S. abortion rate dropped to its lowest level since 19722.

Farming

U.S. farm income reached the highest level ever recorded 1 ;

; Exports of U.S. agricultural goods reached the highest level ever recorded 2 ; and

; and Agricultural employment grew at the fastest rate since 19943.

Federal Spending

The U.S. deficit shrunk in four consecutive years (the first time since 2000) 1 ;

; Transfer payments toward social benefits grew at the slowest rate since 1951 2 ;

; Medicare spending grew at the slowest rate since 1999 3 ; and

; and U.S. contributions to NATO defense spending decreased (as allied contributions increased)4.

Foreign Affairs

Overseas deployments of U.S. troops dropped to record lows (i.e. since recordkeeping began in the 1950s)1.

Firearms

Total firearms manufactured in the U.S. reached all time highs 1 ; and

; and A record number of firearm applications were processed2.

Healthcare

Prescription drug prices had the biggest year-over-year drop ever recorded 1 ; and

; and More generic drugs were approved by the FDA than in any other year2.

Immigration

More green cards were extended in a three-year period since the fall of the Soviet Union 1 ; and

; and More deportations of illegal immigrants occurred than under any prior administration2.

Legislation and Executive Actions

Permanent tax cuts were signed into law for the majority of Americans 1 ;

; US-made iron, steel, and manufactured goods became required for federally-funded public works projects 2 ;

; Funding was provided to fight the U.S. opioid epidemic 3 ;

; al-Qaeda's leadership was killed in a raid overseen by the president 4 ;

; Healthcare reforms, first proposed by The Heritage Foundation 5 , were enacted 6 ;

, were enacted ; Medical services from the Department of Veterans Affairs were overhauled by the "Veterans' Choice" act 7 ;

; Paid family leave went into effect for federal workers 8 ;

; A new child nutrition program, supported unanimously by the U.S. Senate, was funded 9 ;

; Drone strikes against targets in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia were launched in record numbers 10 ;

; Three trade deals were signed 11 , followed by a fourth trade agreement (that was bitterly opposed by Congressional Democrats) 12 ; and

, followed by a fourth trade agreement (that was bitterly opposed by Congressional Democrats) ; and Videos depicting animal cruelty became illegal13.

To be clear: I'm not writing this article to convince anyone of which party or candidate to support. It's not my goal to trick or embarrass anyone, yet I fear the next thing I write could be taken that way: All of the milestones listed above happened during the eight-year presidency of Barack Obama.

I'd be furious (or boastful) if I read an article like this one 20 years ago, but that is the reason why I'm writing this article now.

I used to be a card-carrying member of a political party. When I voted along party lines, it was like having 50 million Americans who always agreed with me about who was good or bad, who was qualified or not, and what the only solution to a complex problem was.

I was fooling myself. There is no single person in the world with whom I agree about everything, let alone a group of people. But there I was, always nodding in agreement. I was fooling myself, and in hindsight, the way I acted made me look like a fool:

I divided America into "us" vs. "them";

I participated in political arguments that ruined family occasions;

I thought of compromise as a loss and collaboration as a betrayal;

I supported free speech only when I agreed with what was being said;

I treated brilliant people like idiots based solely upon their political views;

I refused to watch, read or listen to media that challenged my viewpoints;

I believed every lie told to me as long as it supported things that I wanted to believe;

I searched for proof that I was right, but never searched for evidence that I was wrong;

I spread misinformation unwittingly or uncaringly because I was so eager to hurt political rivals;

I confused integrity with party loyalty, and as a result, distrusted the people most deserving of trust;

I assumed that everyone I met had the same beliefs as me (and I was shocked to learn otherwise);

I called people anti-American, even when these same men and women risked life and limb in support of our country;

I changed my mind in lockstep with my party, wavering between support or opposition, depending on who was in power;

I blamed one group for my problems and waited for another group to solve them, allowing myself to lapse into sickness and poverty; and

I dismissed any corruption allegations against my party as lies, and when those allegations were proven beyond a shadow of a doubt to be true, then I dismissed them as unimportant or irrelevant.

In short, I sacrificed my intelligence, my integrity and my identity because it made me feel like a part of something and spared me the pain of ever having to admit a mistake. Then, one day, it just happened. I'm not sure how or why, but I saw things differently.

Today, I am not a political party. I am a person with his own experiences, ideas and moral code and there is no one exactly like me. I am sober from politics. I am neither right nor wrong because the crowd agrees with me. I am right because my data and reasoning are right. And so are you.