WE CAN'T CONTINUE LIKE THIS: The last 10 years have been a very unsettling period in U.S. political life. It started with the Democrat pushed Russian hoax, which was gleefully promoted by much of the national media and which sucked much of the energy out of the first 26 months of President Trump's first term. The Covid 19 pandemic struck in early 2020, leading to a huge death toll, massive economic dislocation, shutdowns, public debate and controversy, and massive increases in government spending and debt. In May 2020 the death of George Floyd led to huge protests and the largest man-made insurance losses in U.S. history. It also resulted in the BLM movement becoming much more prominent nationally. Eventually it was shunned by many local black leaders who claimed it didn't help their community and only stirred up trouble. Two of the three founders were "trained Marxists". BLM spent millions buying expensive homes, millions more were paid out to family/friends, and only a low percentage of donations were given to charities.

Joe Biden won the 2020 election and Donald Trump embarked upon a still running false claim that he actually won the election and it was rigged. He has basically forced this false claim on elected office holders or forced them into silence. The Biden years brought a disastrous border policy which allowed millions of undocumented people to cross into the U.S. The recovery from Covid 19 also caused many difficulties, including higher than normal inflation. After winning the 2024 election President Trump has sealed the border and enjoyed many other successes. However, a number of his policies have been controversial, including a very chaotic roll out of a tariff policy. Regrettably President Trump has massively increased his vitriolic behavior. This is just not appropriate or dignified for any politician, especially for the leader of the free world. It's also a terrible example for our children. I urge him to act in an appropriate manner and stop all of this nonsense. Many of the problems mentioned above were created by our politicians and we definitely now need to make significant changes.

NO SUIT PLEDGE: As a protest against what I view as the worst incident I have seen from the White House over the last 40 years, I will not be wearing a suit until at least the primary. The treatment of President Zelenskyy of Ukraine by Donald Trump, J.D. Vance and Marjorie Taylor Greene's boyfriend was not only disgusting but false. President Trump berated President Zelenskyy and stated he didn't have any cards to play. That is totally false. Ukraine has the biggest card of all - the flame of freedom beating in the heart of every brave Ukrainian. In 2024 I fulfilled a long-time ambition - to visit Scotland. At the Bannockburn National Memorial, on the base of the statue of Robert The Bruce, are some of the greatest words I have ever read.

"We fight not for glory, nor for wealth, nor honour but only and alone we fight for freedom which no good man surrenders but with his life".

That is why Ukraine is fighting. Defying all expectations they have resisted the Russian invasion for almost four years now.

I AM NOT MAGA - HERE'S WHY. As President Trump states, he decides what MAGA believes. To get his electoral endorsement a candidate must pledge support for MAGA. Once in office, he demands members of Congress vote the way he wants. If a member opposes him, he launches into a vitriolic attack on him/her and promises to have them primaried. So basically, a member of Congress has to become an automaton. They lose their free will. Voters elect members of Congress to represent them, not simply to follow orders from a different branch of government.

I'M 50/50 on TRUMP: I have been a conservative my entire adult life and a Republican for 44 years. I have voted for Donald Trump all three times - in 2016, 2020, and 2024. However, in this new term I don't support all of his policies. If elected, I will support his policies I believe in but oppose those I disagree with. Some I will oppose very strongly. I commend him, for example, for sealing the southern border, bringing home Americans wrongly imprisoned in a number of different countries overseas, and appointing conservative judges, amongst other achievements. I oppose his tariff policies, his pardoning of January 6 protestors who assaulted police, his Putin friendly handling of Ukraine, and his stated wish to take over Canada and Greenland.

NAMING THINGS AFTER HIMSELF: I strongly oppose anything being named after any currently serving politician. My preference is that this only be done after the death of the person, as an honor and remembrance. President Trump is attaching his name to so many buildings, programs etc., all of which in my opinion should be removed.

NOBEL PEACE PRIZE: As an interested observer I have paid attention for many years to any announcement of the prize winners for Peace, Medicine, and Science. I have never heard of anyone basically campaigning for the award until the recent actions of Donald Trump. I view the claims of many that Donald Trump deserved the recently awarded prize as ridiculous. Can anyone detail what Donald Trump did in the area of peace between his swearing in on January 20, 2025, and the close of nominations on February 1, 2025? In that less than two-week period all I can remember from Washington, D.C. are chainsaws and the firing of thousands of government employees. If he were to be awarded it would have to be towards the end of this year (2026) or later.

GREENLAND: Greenlanders, like any other people, have a right to self-determination. Both Denmark and Greenland are perfectly happy to allow the U.S. to construct and operate any military base we deem necessary in Greenland. I strongly oppose invading Greenland. Doing so would have disastrous consequences for our wonderful Western civilization. It would likely lead to the breakup of NATO, which has protected us for 80 years from the terrible world wars we experienced last century. So many countries would no longer trust the U.S. Each country would have to fend for itself, and Russia and China would exploit the situation and make inroads into many nations. If elected, and President Trump invades Greenland I WILL vote to impeach him. If elected after we control Greenland, I will vote to return it to its residents. The time of taking new territory ended about 160 years ago.