I have slogged through quite enough voluminous editorial political page claptrap to last a lifetime. Much of it reiterating – or should I say regurgitating – Roger Ailes’ lifetime of hypnotizing, mesmerizing and brainwashing garbage through Fox News.

What’s astounding – about half of the gullible population have bought right in – hook, line and sinker. If Hitler had the henchmen, resources and technologies that Trump has, he might have won! It took a world war to stop him!

Let me back up a little: I’m almost 82. I’m also a retired United Methodist minister. I live at the present time in a nursing home environment. It is not ideal. I lose freedom, independence and privacy. Lack of privacy is by far the worst.

A lot of the time I manage to outmaneuver much of the rest. Occassionally I get caught, get spanked on the back of my hand and have to sit in the corner for awhile. I use the time to think up other maneuvers.

With a pile of lemons I’ve managed sometimes to make lemonade – amongst other things. I’ve written an over 300-page book that two different publishers are considering. I’ve written magazine articles and devotionals for a daily devotional publication. I’m halfway through another book that’s more theological in nature.

I also read – a lot – including those letters to the editor with so much of their diatribes against all things Democratic while extolling the virtues of all things Republican. I’m a liberal, progressive Democrat – and proud of it!

I’m quite surprised at the unbalanced political coverage, including the political cartoons, in a publication this size. I wish I could respond to all the volumes of (columnist Larry) Summerour, (letter writer Ford) McLain and (columnist Sydney) Williams material. I can summarize most of the distortions in about 11 words: “I’m a Republican. I don’t like Clinton. I’ll vote for Trump.”

Boy, do they watch a lot of Fox News!

I’ve got some questions for those who at present time are planning to vote for Trump:

Do you know any specific plans he has for the country economically? Do you know any details of his foreign policy? Do you know anything about his domestic agenda?

Do you know his views on climate changes? Do you know why Trump has alienated veterans? Women? Young college students? Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries?

Why he has deeply hurt Muslim Americans? Mexican-Americans” African-Americans?

Do you condone his often and frequent profanity and his use of the vulgar “four-letter words and phrases”? What do you think of his making fun of the disabled? Observing his temper and temperament, do you think he would be a president to be proud of in the world arena?

Do you realize Trump is a pathological liar and would do anything and say anything just to become our president? That he doesn’t know fact from fiction?

Do his multiple marriages and rather shady affairs bother you? Do you think Trump has the slightest idea how to function within our laws with a tough Senate and House of Representatives and how Washington, D.C., really works?

Do you really want Trump to have direct access and demanding the “football” – those fat attache cases that the Secret Service carry everywhere the president goes – and could request the “Bisquick” – the most secret nuclear codes – and consequently, would have the most power of anyone on earth to push that button to initiate the use of all our nuclear weaponry and potentially annihilate this planet? Do you really want Donald Trump, knowing his disposition, to have that power?

Are you going to vote for him simply because he’s different? Merry! I don’t want to select the ringmaster of a three-ringed circus! I consider Donald Trump an existential threat to our very way of life!

I think my life has encompassed about 11 presidential election cycles and it seems the process is getting worse with each election! There has to be a better way!

I’d wager that I am one of the few who watched all of the nighttime coverage of both the Republican and Democratic conventions, taking copious notes from both. From the Republicans I came away frightened and depressed. From the Democrats I came away inspired and hopeful.

Folks, please, I beg you to be a little flexible. If you’re watching Fox News and only Fox News, you’re being fed an ultra-conservative pack of lies. They want you to be totally polarized: Everything Republican is right; everything Democratic is wrong.

I dare you to be flexible enough to watch on a semi-regular basis some political coverage on MSNBC to get a different point of view.

I do not understand what is so terrible about Hillary Clinton. I’ve followed her life, career and accomplishments in the very public world, and for the life of me, where are all of the awful things she’s supposed to have done?

You hear all sorts of stuff about the “email situation” and the embassy in Libya matter. What have they found? It’s manufactured slander! It’s manipulated controversy! It’s libelous lies, people!

Shout it long enough and loud enough and eventually some insignificant shred becomes “truth” that would never stand up in court. You know what I wish Hillary Clinton would do? Slap a major lawsuit on Trump, his henchmen and the Republican Party for slander and defamation of character now – and make them prove their outlandish accusations and suffer the consequences!

Some would say Hillary Clinton in some circles has three strings against her: 1) she’s a woman, 2) she’s a Clinton, and 3) she’s a Democrat. I challenge anyone to explain to me what relevance that has to do with qualifications to be president. Personally, all three are pluses.

Being intelligent, experienced, compassionate, being quite knowledgeable of how Washington, D.C., and the world affairs work do matter. The world certainly knows that. Let Trump go to Moscow and sit in Putin’s lap!

In a section of my book I mentioned earlier I have an idea for completely revamping our presidential election process, making it so simple, saving millions and millions of dollars. I’m completely convinced the percentage of legitimate qualified voters voting would rise tremendously.

A hint: If the IRS would do their thing with almost everyone, why not voting?

Read it in my book and decide its possibility.

Folks, you know what really hurts? We are becoming the laughing stock of the world over all of this. The results Nov. 8 will have unimaginable repercussions everywhere. No one would believe the reactions from people in other parts of the world who write to me.

James F. Nelson

LaGrange