One of my favorite stories from Greek mythology is the famous ruse known as the Trojan Horse. Just in case you are a little rusty on your epics from Homer, here’s a brief summary. The Greeks had attacked the city of Troy, and for 10 long years the two sides were locked in deadly combat. Neither side could gain the advantage until the hero Odysseus came up with a plan.
The Greeks built a gigantic wooden horse, left it outside the gates of Troy, and then their fleet sailed away. Unbeknownst to the Trojans, Greek soldiers were hidden inside the horse. The Trojans, believing it to be an offering, brought it into their city and reveled at their supposed victory over the Greeks. While the Trojans slept, the Greek fleet had returned and the soldiers inside the horse opened up the city gates. Caught by surprise, the Trojans were all slain and the city of Troy was laid to ruin.
It occurred to me some time ago that Donald Trump is the Trojan Horse of our time. He appeared on the doorstep of America, and just enough Americans were fooled that he ascended to the presidency. By any objective measure, he clearly is not smart enough to have won on his own. His lack of basic knowledge on foreign and domestic affairs would be laughable if our country’s future were not at stake. His constant flip-flopping on issues and his consistent stream of lies and idiotic tweets would have disqualified any other candidate
If Trump is the Trojan Horse, then who built him? We have an independent special prosecutor who has been investigating this very matter. Every American should be alarmed at how strenuously Trump is trying to undermine the Mueller investigation. Patriots should be shocked at Trump’s attempts to discredit our nation’s law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
The sad truth is precious few in the Republican party are willing to speak up for the rule of law in our country. The GOP has gone to P-O-T. The former Grand Old Party has become the Party of Trump. With the passing of Sen. John McCain, we have lost a voice of reason on our political landscape. He was as tough as he was honest. He was a true American hero in every sense of the word, dedicating his life to serving the country he loved. The night John McCain defended the character of Barack Obama in a town hall campaign event, we saw McCain’s real worth, one of integrity.
Sen. McCain — the maverick as he was called — bucked his own party by calling “enhanced interrogation” what it really is — torture. His ability to cross the aisle and work on bipartisan legislation is what this country needs desperately. Instead, we have a president who ridiculed McCain because he was a prisoner of war and a Congress who remained silent.
Many of us in Carroll County feel so far removed from Washington, D.C., that we believe we can’t do anything about what is happening to our country. However, each of us has a voice that can be heard. We can each make a difference by staying informed, by speaking up, and most importantly, by voting.
The northern half of Carroll County is in Congressional District 1. Andy Harris, the Republican incumbent, is an ardent Trump supporter who voted to give tax cuts to the wealthy and to strip health insurance from thousands of Marylanders. We need to tell Harris that enough is enough. We need real leadership in Washington, D.C. Let’s send Jesse Colvin to the House of Representatives so our voices can be heard again. I recommend going to Colvin’s website to learn his incredible story (jessecolvin.com). His tours of duty as a U.S. Army Ranger have given him the experience, insight and maturity that we really need.
It is not too soon to begin researching all the candidates; Nov. 6 will be here in the blink of an eye. When a local politician defends a president who pays off porn stars and Playboy playmates with hush money, I have to question that politician’s judgment. When a candidate for office attacks an opponent by parroting disingenuous right-wing talking points that have nothing to do with local issues, I doubt that candidate’s fitness for office. The last thing Carroll County needs is a Trump Mini-Me.
Far too many people have been enchanted by the Sirens’ song of complacency. We have the power to make our community and our nation a better place. Now more than ever we need to wake up and show up. Every vote matters.
Tom Scanlan is a member of the Carroll County Democratic Central Committee. He writes from Westminster.