Many of my close friends know that I am somewhat private, and do not often speak loudly about my political, philosophical, or religious views. I believe that there is little room for rational discourse in our current age, especially in far too public forums such as Facebook or Twitter. These are places for trifles, for baby pictures and cat memes and perpetual nostalgia.

However, the growing spectre of a despot on the shores of my homeland, carried to the eaves power by the passions and fears of a multitude, means that I cannot in good conscience stay silent; I must speak my mind. If you do not agree or take exception with my words, there is no need to unfriend, mute or delete me; I do not make a habit of repeating my opinions ad nauseum.

In the early days of our nation, having thrown off the yoke of a far-removed and uncaring tyrant, our founding fathers took measures to ensure that power remained in the hands of our nation’s citizens. They spoke of defending democracy, of endeavoring to “rescue and save their civil and religious rights from the outstretched arm of tyranny, which may appear under any mode or form of government.” They spoke of encouraging good citizens in possession of “wisdom and knowledge, of moderation and temperance, of patience, fortitude and perseverance, of sobriety and true republican simplicity of manners, of zeal for the honour of the Supreme Being and the welfare of the commonwealth,” with the result that “we may expect that our affairs will rest on a solid and permanent foundation.”

Our founding fathers, imperfect as any other humans, committed themselves to self-sacrifice to build a strong, enduring Republic based on “virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens.”:

• “I would willingly risk my life, though not my character, to exalt my station.” – Alexander Hamilton
• “Give up money, give up fame, give up science, give up the earth itself and all it contains rather than do an immoral act.” – Thomas Jefferson
• “Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect every one who approaches that jewel. – Patrick Henry

In contrast, here are some words that can be claimed today by a major party candidate for the office of President of the United States of America:

• “Part of the beauty of me is that I am very rich.” – Donald Trump
• “When I think I’m right, nothing bothers me.” – Donald Trump
• “My life has been about winning. My life has not been about losing.” – Donald Trump

Compare these to the words of a world leader some 75 years ago:

• “I never lost my belief, in the midst of setbacks… Providence has had the last word and brought me success.” – Adolf Hitler
• “I insist absolutely that my orders be executed without contradiction.” – Adolf Hitler
• “Truly, this earth is a trophy cup for the industrious man… He who does not possess the force… must step aside and allow stronger peoples to pass him by.” – Adolf Hitler

The closest analog to Donald Trump in American history is that of Aaron Burr. Of Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton said: “he loves nothing but himself- thinks of nothing but his own aggrandizement- and will be content with nothing short of permanent power in his own hands.” Once, Burr asked Hamilton, “if you have power as Secretary of the Treasury to work this system to benefit you, why shouldn’t you?” This man could not see how someone could possess power and not use it for their own personal good. Burr was disgraced in the United States following his duel with Hamilton; his response was to gather a private army and try to seat himself as the Emperor of Mexico. We should never admire a brazen hunger for power and attention in our leaders.

If we are to look to a founding father on which to base our the conduct of ourselves and our leaders, the best answer remains George Washington. John Marshall said that our first president was “pious, just, humane, temperate, and sincere, uniform dignified and commanding…. vice shuddered in his presence and virtue always felt his fostering hand.” Washington willingly receded from public life after two terms as President, setting the precedent of cession of power that is respected to this day. Contrast this description of Washington with Trump’s own description of himself: “My IQ is one of the highest — and you all know it! Please don’t feel so stupid or insecure; it’s not your fault.”

George Washington said that we must “guard against impostures of pretended patriotism.” Is it not pretended patriotism that leads to outbursts such as this?:

• “Not one American flag on the massive stage at the Democratic National Convention until people started complaining-then a small one. Pathetic” – Donald Trump
• “Our country does not feel ‘great already’ to the millions of wonderful people living in poverty, violence and despair.” – Donald Trump
• “Shooting deaths of police officers up 78% this year. We must restore law and order and protect our great law enforcement officers!” – Donald Trump
  

James Madison said, “If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be under the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.” Is this not the fear being mongered in the following statements?:

• “Our way of life is under threat by Radical Islam”- Donald Trump
• “We can’t continue to allow China to rape our country”- Donald Trump
• “The “Rust Belt” was created by politicians like the Clintons who allowed our jobs to be stolen from us by other countries like Mexico.”- Donald Trump
• “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending the best. They’re not sending you, they’re sending people that have lots of problems and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists… And some, I assume, are good people.” – Donald Trump
  

The hateful rhetoric in these words should sound familiar; similar words were used less than a century ago to murder millions:

• “We shall regain our health only by eliminating the Jew.” – Adolf Hitler
• “The war against Russia will be such that it cannot be conducted in a knightly fashion. This struggle is one of ideologies and racial differences and will have to be conducted with unprecedented, unmerciful, and unrelenting harshness.” – Adolf Hitler
• “As for the ridiculous hundred million Slavs, we will mould the best of them as we see fit, and we will isolate the rest of them in their own pig-styes; and anyone who talks about cherishing the local inhabitants and civilising them, goes straight off into a concentration camp!”- Adolf Hitler

Can we trust a man who incited a foreign government to commit acts of aggression against our nation? (“If Russia or any other country or person has Hillary Clinton’s 33,000 illegally deleted emails, perhaps they should share them with the FBI!”) Can we trust a man who through full-page newspaper ads encouraged the mob justice that resulted in the wrongful imprisonment of the Central Park Five? Can we trust a man who refuses to distance himself from the endorsements of hate groups and white supremacists? Can we trust a man who claims that global warming is a myth invented by the Chinese to destroy American business? Who wants to bring back waterboarding and “a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding”?

When a Mexican immigrant was beaten by two of his supporters in Boston: “I will say that people who are following me are very passionate. They love this country and they want this country to be great again. They are passionate.” Is this the response we want from the Commander in Chief of our military?

When a protester was beaten at one of his rallies for yelling Black Lives Matter: “Maybe he should have been roughed up. It was absolutely disgusting what he was doing.” Is this the response we want from the director of our nation’s foreign policy?

Adolf Hitler turned to politics when he failed as an artist. Donald Trump is a failed businessman who now turns to politics as a way of retaining the attention and power he craves. I understand that I may be leaning on Adolf Hitler allusions a little too hard; this is on purpose, for I believe that this is truly the threat posed to our nation by Donald Trump. For the sake of balance, let me turn for a moment to Benito Mussolini, the fascist dictator of Italy whom Donald Trump has quoted on Twitter:

• “This is the epitaph I want on my tomb: ‘Here lies one of the most intelligent animals who ever appeared on the face of the Earth.’” – Benito Mussolini (“My IQ is one of the highest — and you all know it! Please don’t feel so stupid or insecure; it’s not your fault”-Trump)
• “We do not argue with those who disagree with us, we destroy them.” – Benito Mussolini  (“If someone attacks you, do not hesitate. Go for the jugular.”-Trump)
• “It is better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep.”

I wish to highlight this last quote, the Mussolini quote that Trump retweeted (“It’s a very good quote. It’s a very interesting quote.”). I wish to highlight this quote to my Christian friends and family who intend to vote for Trump. I ask you, is this a sentiment that you believe Donald Trump holds? My Christian friends, is this philosophy in line with the words of Jesus Christ? Does the philosophy of Donald Trump match the words of Christ?:

• “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
• “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.”
• “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

If you believe yourself to live in a Christian nation then you cannot endorse this candidate; if you believe that this is no longer a Christian nation then you must “render unto Caesar” and recede from politics.

Fisher Ames said, “I am commonly opposed to those who modestly assume the rank of champions of liberty, and make a very patriotic noise about the people. It is the stale artifice which has duped the world a thousand times, and yet, though detected, it is still successful.”

Donald Trump said, “I play into people’s fantasies. People may not always think big themselves, but they can still get very excited by those who do. That’s why a little hyperbole never hurts. People want to believe that something is the biggest and the greatest and the most spectacular.”

I do not wish to share how I will cast my vote, only that I will not cast it for Donald Trump. This farce has gone on for too long; the circus of American politics must end. This farce is the fault of the people, and must be ended by the people.

I present my views with humility, without the intention of presenting myself as a man of high intellect, or wisdom, or faultlessness. I only wish to share my opinions, based on my own knowledge and experience. I hope to write this as my sole political declaration for the time being; I prefer not to discuss this any further and will try not to respond to any debate caused by my words.

I close with two Theodore Roosevelt quotes: “There are good men and bad men of all nationalities, creeds and colors; and if this world of ours is ever to become what we hope some day it may become, it must be by the general recognition that the man’s heart and soul, the man’s worth and actions, determine his standing.” Let us remember this instead of lumping people, parties and races into stereotypes.

The other quote is this: “The only man who makes no mistakes is the man who never does anything.” If you can vote, then vote. Samuel Adams said that in voting, we the people are “executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society.” I do not ask that you vote one way or another; that is your decision alone. I ask only two things of my friends, family, and colleagues:

• One, that you vote any and every time you can, as a sacred honor;
• Two, that you do so from a place of education, wisdom, and introspection instead of blind emotion, arrogance, and willful ignorance.