Military leaders need to speak up
To the Editor:
It isn’t often that I feel vindicated, but my hat is off to Max Boot at The Washington Post for declaring that “Trump’s generals have one last duty to perform, they must tell American voters what they saw first-hand: their former boss is unfit to serve as commander-in-chief.”
Boot was referring to retired Marine Gen. John Kelly, Trump’s longest serving chief of staff, former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, and former national security advisor H.R. McMaster. I would add a fourth, recently retired Gen. Mark Milley, former Chair of the Joint Chiefs.
Max Boot believes the generals have an obligation to tell voters about “the unique threat Trump poses to American democracy” and that they should launch an “Unfit to Serve” tour, “revealing the horrors they witnessed.”
I couldn’t agree more. I’m retired Navy myself so I fully understand and appreciate the reluctance of military affiliated personnel to involve themselves in politics.
However, these are unprecedented times. We have a twice impeached former president presently awaiting four criminal trials totaling 91 charges across four states plus an assortment of civil trials pending. Donald Trump poses a severe risk to national security and he is clearly unfit, unqualified and an undeniable threat to our democratic form of government, our way of life.
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Donald Trump has shown only distain for our armed forces for as long as we’ve known him, particularly for those killed, wounded or captured, referring to them publicly as “losers” and “suckers.”
Gen. Kelly described Trump as having “nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions.” Is this the kind of president we want in the White House? I think not.
I agree with Max Boot, unequivocally, the generals must speak up and tell Americans the truth about former President Trump. Our past presidents must speak up as well. Present and former members of the United States Congress must speak up.
And, most importantly, veterans and veterans organizations, all veterans who are serving and who have served this nation in uniform, must speak up; we must not allow this misfit to denigrate and malign and slander our soldiers, sailors and airmen who daily put their lives and limbs on the line to keep our country free. None of us has the privilege of remaining silent any longer.
David L. Snell
Franklin
