I’m 85 years old  today! Yes, who knew? I seem to be surrounded by big numbers now. My wife, Pat, is 83. We have been married for 63 years. Our sons, Russ and Doug, are 62 and our daughter, Terri, is 59. I can’t believe it.

I never had any dreams of longevity and never really thought about it much. I suppose that good genes had a lot to do with it, but there is another factor that should be considered. I have been a Type 1, insulin dependent diabetic for 56 years. Two of the requisites for living well with diabetes are exercise and nutrition. I have always exercised, and Pat and I attended several nutrition classes at Scripps Hospital and the VA. She has made it a point that we eat well and consume lots of fresh fruit and vegetables.

In my lifetime, I’ve been through the Depression, World War II, Korea, Viet Nam, and the middle-Eastern Wars. Now, for the first time, I am really scared for our democracy and our way of life. In January of 2017, a new president and his administration took office, and it was as if an evil black cloud had descended upon our country. All of a sudden, power and money and greed were in the forefront. Hate and disrespect and criminal behavior were the new norm. What scares me is that half of our citizens have bought into this behavior. Wake up, people! To understand what is going on, you must read “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.” It defines exactly what Trump is doing. Control the media, discredit those who object, and take over the minds of the people.

Our country hasn’t been perfect by any means, but we were working on it. Those who think that everything would be wonderful under the rule of the Trump regime had better rethink the situation. The rich guys, the top 1%, would prosper. The rest would suffer. Rules and regulations would be rolled back because they cost too much. Those things that protect our health and safety would be discarded. Diseases like TB, polio, cholera, and measles would return. The 1% guys won’t care because they will be living well.

I hate writing stuff like this. I’ve always been an optimist. I’m scared for my kids, grandkids, and great grandkids. Too many people have been sucked in by this evil bastard. God Bless America!

Dave Thomas

8/27/2021