Should be afraid, mad

I am a retired military veteran and an independent voter. I am scared as hell of the narcissistic, erratic liar who occupies the White House, and mad as hell at the 525 elected representatives who let and empower this person to ruin this country’s standing in the world. They are practicing partisan politics instead of doing what’s best for the country and/or the world. They are doing what’s best for their re-election or their party.

Trump’s temper tantrum tweets when he feels unloved and attacked are dangerous and juvenile; he doesn’t listen to his advisers, and lets his “gut”—which is ample—make decisions that affect the entire country and the world. He just traveled to Iraq to meet and “support” the troops and lied to their faces about their pay raises and delivered a political speech. Using the troops who sacrifice their personal safety and comfort to protect this country (a concept Trump knows nothing about and did everything he could to avoid) for his political gain is inexcusable.

People in his own party say the government shutdown is a fight he caused to satisfy his base and show them he is fighting.

It’s time for the elected representatives of the country to stop the madness and do their jobs and represent the interests of the country instead of their own. Walls don’t work. Ask France about the Maginot Line and China about the Great Wall and how effective they were. If we build a 20-foot wall, someone will build a 30-foot ladder or a tunnel under it.

I’m scared and mad as hell, and I feel most logically thinking people should be too. TOM COPELAND Sherwood