Opinion

Alan DiCara: Reflections on free speech, Donald Trump and Ralph Nader

Ralph Nader, like many Americans, recently commented on Donald Trump. And David LaPointe, like other Trump supporters, myself included, offered reasons why he thought Mr. Nader “had no standing” to make the observations.

Fortunately, our First Amendment and its freedom of speech protections extend to Ralph Nader, Donald Trump, David LaPointe and all of us who have something to say about our leaders.

In his recent letter to the editor, LaPointe stated “Ralph Nader has never accomplished getting elected president but has led quixotic campaigns for president so many times, and lost...”

So what? He tried, which is his right, and ours, and we all had a few chances to vote for him – the better for us and for our democracy. This is what LaPointe and other veterans and all of us fight for.

LaPointe also thinks Ralph Nader’s liberal/socialistic slant that government should be bigger and more powerful with more taxes and regulations, was rejected in this election.” But, Mr. Nader has always promoted active, citizen volunteerism to make our government work better. And we all know “big government” is the result of our taking on big business — countervailing power for all Americans.

LaPointe calls for Ralph to “get over” the election of Donald Trump and says that Trump was “legally elected,” which he was. But LaPointe has unreasonable expectations for Ralph Nader, whose life is dedicated to challenging entrenched power, regardless of party and to point out where politicians fail us.

Good for us and our democracy; bad for failing politicians. We all have this ability as good citizens.

LaPointe says Ralph Nader “sand-bagged (poor ol’) Al Gore,” and “Ralph made it possible for George Bush to win the presidency in 2000.” Al Gore and the Democrats lost that election. Not Ralph Nader.

LaPointe wrongly thinks Ralph Nader... “is for more government and more laws (regulations) that create a legal web to entangle our citizens — for their protection...”

Well, we all know that it’s the well-paid corporate lobbyists who get the people we elect to weave those “legal webs” to deliberately frustrate the enforcement of good consumer and environmental and civil rights laws that once worked in America, for Americans. We now call this gridlock, and wonder how this happens?

The answer is money — lots of it. Campaign money, coming from the Fortune 500 and others to get incumbents reelected, so they can sit on their hands and ignore the people they are supposed to work for. This why Donald Trump was, ironically, elected president — to end the DC gridlock, drain the swamp in D.C. and end the farce and a disgrace to American democracy. This is why Nader should continue calling Trump on the carpet for not sticking to his campaign promise to “drain the swamp” and getting rid of the corporate lobbyists and their pals who frustrate the will of the American people in so many ways inside the Beltway.

Ralph Nader and others who attended Harvard did well. Deal with it.

Ralph Nader wants to see Trrump’s income tax returns. So do we all.

Most normal Americans want to see poor people appointed to run America instead of more wealthy folks. After all, we pay taxes; they do not.

Ralph Nader did write a fictional book on how billionaires should help save America. Only LaPointe objects to this though, as my dad once said, “the rich get richer,” regardless of their politics.

Ralph Nader does not wish to disarm the U.S. but perhaps, after the U.S. has spent trillions on “defense” since WWII, he and most people on the planet just want to “Give peace a chance.” And doing this will also reduce the national debt — a conservative priority and good economic policy.

So Ralph Nader did not get elected president. Big deal. Many did not vote for him because doing so would take him “off the beat” of telling us who is betraying the public interest, our interests, in Washington.

Ralph Nader would have been “transformational” and would have “made America great” had we had the good sense to elect him, long before Mr. Trump came along.

Ralph Nader and/or his family have always paid any property taxes due, just like the rest of us. Legal waivers of property taxes were sought and obtained for nonprofit use of two other structures the Naders do not own — anyone can seek and obtain this information — preferably after investing heavily to improve and maintain such buildings.

One wonders where Trump has been, as Ralph Nader and the rest of us have been fighting the last 50 years to make America great. Making billions maybe? Winchester residents and most Americans, as well as Ralph’s family and parents, were and are proud and thankful for his efforts and successes.

Alan DiCara is a resident of Winsted.