LETTER: I Am Not Your Enemy, Mr. Trump

The following letter to the editor was submitted by Harleysville resident Matt Helfrich. To submit a letter to the editor, please email justin.heinze@patch.com.

Dear Editor,

There is a common misconception that the people who didn't vote for Trump want to see him fail. It's also becoming increasingly popular to label anyone critical of Trump to be a liberal, a pansy, a socialist, and even a bad American. In fact, Trump himself refers to those who criticize him as his "enemies." I can only speak for myself in this matter, and I can confidently say that these accusations are wrong and troubling.

I may not agree with Trump or care for his behavior, but I want him to be successful for the good of our country and for the sake of my family. He's not my enemy, and in a democracy such as ours I find his labeling of those critical of him as "enemies" to be dangerous. It's a phrase used in dictatorships and Communist regimes, not in democracies. This mindset that his fellow Americans, the people he serves as President, are his enemies doesn't make me angry - it concerns me. I hope that through introspection and feedback from his advisors he realizes that few people are truly his enemy, and that using that tone only unsettles a country that is desperate for stable leadership.

Trump's cabinet is reflective of a conservative administration, but it's important to remember that he ran on an agenda that extends to both ends of the political spectrum. His proposed policy to save jobs at companies that can no longer compete with the 3rd world is not just a liberal concept, it is nearly socialist. Regardless of how it is spun, Government intervention into a free market economy to save certain jobs and not others is a dangerous one and the reason why many people fear socialism and Communism. I'm not aware of many Republicans who fundamentally support Government intervention in the economy. Nor am I aware of the Republican Party ever fearing free trade or supporting the idea that America, the sole superpower in the world, should withdrawal itself from a world that would clearly destabilize without our presence. If you fully support Trump and his agenda, you are supporting policies that are both liberal and conservative. More importantly, both Trump and his supporters should realize that it's not only Democrats who are critical of him, but many Republicans as well. Politics may restrain top Republican leaders such as John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Paul Ryan from openly criticizing Trump, but it's clear they are concerned by many of his proposed policies, especially a reduced US presence in the world and a willingness to befriend a Russian regime who has invaded a sovereign country (Ukraine) and supports a regime that has consistently violated human rights (Syria's Assad regime).

Labeling criticism as "liberal" or "un-American" is therefore inaccurate and counterproductive. Labeling anyone critical of your ideas as an "enemy" is contrary to our democratic principles. No one called me names or labeled me an "enemy" when I wrote letters to the editor criticizing Obama for his policies towards Israel and Iran or concluding that his Presidency fell short of my lofty expectations for him. I may not have cared for Trump's inaugural address, and his concern over crowd sizes may seem petty, but they are of little concern to me. My primary concerns are providing for my family, the safety of our country, and the protection of the democratic principles that tie our nation of immigrants under one proud label - "American." This cannot occur unless Trump succeeds in providing stable leadership and ensuring his policies and negotiations are in the best interest of the country as a whole. This is beyond politics. Mr. President, I am not your enemy, sir.

-Matt Helfrich

Harleysville, PA

Patch filep hoto.