This is Viewpoints for Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Look closely

If we look at the veneer of Monday’s presidential debate we saw a polished Hillary Clinton, well prepared and verbose in the usual political blabber at election time. She weaved the old familiar half-truth of a government providing better schools and free college cost for all, and the usual array of more and bigger freebies for everyone, complements of the “super rich.”

At the opposing podium we saw a bumbling Donald Trump with a plan backed by his vast business successes to make America great again by our government spending on this country first and taxing less. For those who looked closely the veneer was gone and the rich grain of hardwood showed as he spoke. Step right up. Put your vote on the blue or the red.

The debate

The debate is over. I must say that I am still sick of traditional politicians. I am tired of the greed, lies and deceit. And that is why I do not like Hillary Clinton. So last year I was looking for an outsider this election cycle, someone with an impeccable personal background, a moral family man/woman with high standards who would preserve personal liberties and individualism while not trampling on the rights of minorities. And I wanted someone who would respect our military and know when to deploy it.

When the smoke cleared, that is not what I got. Or, more importantly, not what our nation got. And the recent Monday debate has not changed my opinion. My party, the GOP, has taken a step backward. We have an outsider, but one who has admittedly paid off every politician he could find to get his own way and increase his own personal wealth while paying virtually no taxes, apparently a point of pride for him in the debate.

He is someone who thinks that it is fine to have been married three time, place his hands on his daughter in inappropriate places, curse like a sailor, say horrible things to women and lie every other word out of his mouth. He says our generals are puppets. He likes the dictator running Russia. He wants to start a war with Iran over a few little boats buzzing a ship.

He is also a person who has a track record of bigotry with his companies having been fined and cited by regulatory agencies, a point correctly made by his debate opponent and never refuted. He continues that direction with his ridiculous birther comments (inadequately explained in the debate), mile-high walls and immigration comments in general. Plus, his recent denigrating speeches talking down to the entire African-American community are unbelievably arrogant and thoughtless as was his law-and-order answer to a debate question. There were good people who could have been nominated. We just did not pick one.

Curb boys

What a pleasure to read Ed Grisamore’s column about my good friend Dr. Joe Boland. Joe and I are lifelong friends, for more than 70 years. We both were raised in south Macon and both started to work at Fincher’s Barbecue as curb boys. I later became his assistant manager until he left for dental school. I then became manager, and any skills I may have shown in that position were a direct result of Joe’s teachings. He was the best restaurant manager I’ve ever known and now he is the best dentist I know. He has truly been a blessing to me and my family. Let me say no one could have a better friend than Joe and Mary Jane Boland.

Plant-based diet

It seems like there is always some special observance around the corner. There is even a World Day for Farmed Animals. Fittingly, it’s observed Oct. 2 (Gandhi’s birthday). It’s intended to memorialize the tens of billions of animals abused and killed for food around the world. My first instinct was to dismiss it, but I wanted to understand the impact of my diet and my food dollars on others. Recent undercover investigations showed male baby chicks suffocated in plastic garbage bags or ground to death, laying hens crowded into small wire cages, injured pigs killed by slamming their heads against the concrete floor, and cows skinned and dismembered while still conscious. As theologians debate whether there is life after death, I wondered whether these animals have a life before death and why I should subsidize these barbaric practices.

I wonder no more, as I have now embraced a plant-based diet, green and yellow veggies, legumes, fruits, nuts and some grains. Occasionally, I indulge in nut-based cheese or ice cream. Although I was motivated by compassion for animals, I have since learned that my diet is also great for my health and for the health of our planet.

Faria’s response

Several letters have been published responding critically to my missive of Sept. 18 defending Trump as the man selected by the Republican voters in several states. Two of the letter writers responded in the same vein. First, let’s just say that Trump’s viable opponents are not Gary Johnson or Jill Stein, as these two individuals claimed directly or indirectly — but the most corrupt and mercenary individual to grace the history of American presidential elections, “Crooked Hillary,” as one of them admitted. They don’t rebut an iota of my brief arguments but continue to rehash the same points. Second, I do commend David Mann for a more thoughtful reply and whose points, such as Trump was selected by only a plurality of voters, are well taken. But fear mongering and crying wolf won’t do (for reasons already stated).

Finally, we live in an Aristotelian world of reality, not a Platonic world of pies in the sky. The lesser of the two evils is Trump and that remains virtually unassailable, considering even the arguments of my disputants. Frankly, I seriously doubt that any of these letter writers would have been voting for the Republican candidate, whoever he or she might have been.

This story was originally published September 27, 2016 at 9:00 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Wednesday, September 28, 2016."