Open letter to granddaughters #5

Dear Emma, Morgan, Tegan and Ellie,

Today is a beautiful fall day in New England. Just enough chill in the air and still lots of leaves waiting to fall. You can tell it is Autumn here in Connecticut--the sound of leaf blowers sound through the land!

A great thing about New England in November is that most days you can wear shorts and a sweater! Since I still have a brace on my right leg (though I'm walking with a cane) I take advantage of that fashion statement....

Do you know the saying: "did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" People usually say that if you are grouchy in the morning.

After 11 days of pondering the election of Donald Trump as our next president, I realized I've "woken up on the wrong side of my country...."

What Trump has stood for during the campaign is the opposite of most everything I believe.

I believe in global trade--he's against it. I think it raises the standard of living everywhere and he thinks it hurts people in the US. Nevermind that our standard of living is still one of the highest in the world.

I believe in the diversity of our country and in welcoming immigrants. He doesn't seem to.

I believe in equal rights and equal pay for women and in a large increase in the minimum wage. He doesn't seem to.

I believe in upping taxes on the wealthy and I think his tax plan will lower the taxes of the rich.

I believe in building up the social network: welfare, health care, education. I'm not sure he does.

I could go on and on. Really.

So I woke up on the wrong side of my country on November 9th.

Now I have to ponder what to do about that. I hope you won't mind if I share my ponderings from time to time here.

Love you so, Granpa