A Morning Note to a Friend That Isn’t Like Me

We started out with him sending me a clipping,

The five most dangerous cities in the United States have been revealed – and they are all run by Democrats. 

Memphis, Tennessee, has been ranked as America’s most dangerous city in a r…

I sent him a quick rebuttable, something like ‘BULLSHIT” then he sent back another conservative article and I realized neither od us was right, the problems and answers and solutions can be thrown about at will, so I finally wrote back what follows.

Good and bad. Good that you’re looking for backup data to support your position. My real issue with the stuff you send is that it’s so biased, often from outlets like the Washington Post or the internet’s version of The Inquirer.

The key here isn’t affirmation—it’s truth. Yes, I do think the woke philosophy has made a mess of things. I’ve seen Portland’s steady decline firsthand, living just outside the city. We even considered Boise, Idaho at one point, but realized it’s on the same path because many of the people who damaged Portland have moved there.

Democrats often avoid real solutions, framing these problems as the result of a failed society. The reality is many of these so-called “downtrodden” are instead lazy, addicted, or opportunistic—knowing they can live off handouts and steal without consequence. On the other hand, Trump’s “arrest them all” approach isn’t a solution either. These people still have rights. What happens after the arrests? Deport them? Ignore the Constitution? That’s where he has his head up his ass.

I want crime addressed just as much as Trump supporters do. My problem is with his methods—and his obsession with power. He wants to be king for life. He doesn’t appoint competent people because he can’t stand anyone with an independent mind. He takes credit for everything, fixes what isn’t broken, and expects everyone to bow afterward. He doesn’t think or care beyond his own glow.

Take his use of the National Guard as an example. Those Guardsmen have civilian jobs—they’re pulled away, employers aren’t required to pay them, and Guard pay is lousy. Does Trump care about the impact on them or their families? Not at all.

Everything he does is about what he feels he deserves. That’s why I distrust him so deeply.

But back to your point: don’t just accept headlines at face value. Fact check. Dig deeper. These cities can’t be explained in a headline or pinned on one political party. You have to look at economic decline, population shifts, local industries that collapsed—Detroit’s auto industry, coal towns, steel cities, and so on. Poverty, opportunity, and history matter more than whether a mayor has a D or R next to their name.

I don’t claim to have the answers. Sometimes I just want to run from it all. But I know this: I’m against both violent and non-violent crime, against leaving people to rot on the street, and against pretending shelters alone are a fix. The system needs an overhaul—and Trump isn’t the one to do it.

Just a Monday morning cup of coffee..