To The Eagle:

A recent letter to The Eagle promoting Trump is an example of the current divide between Republicans and Democrats. For decades the Republicans were the party with the highest educational attainment, but that trend has reversed and the writer of that letter demonstrates the typical functionally illiterate Trump supporter. In 3rd Grade most of us learn that a sentence includes a single thought. There is usually a subject and a noun. The writer, without articulating any real policies, rants continuously and only randomly inserts a comma or a period. As his vocabulary is limited he creates words. “Those among us who will ‘hector' and vilify us.” I do have a friend named Hector, and Hector is also the name of a neighbor’s dog, but I know no other uses of that word. The writer probably rails about Democrats wasting tax money, but what happened to dollars expended for his English instruction? Even if he only attended four or five years; it’s been money flushed down the drain. If one Googles “Trump speaks at a 4th Grade Level,” there will be several studies showing that Trump ranks at the very bottom of American Presidents.

As a conservative investor and farmer, I see that Trump’s inability to lower the capital gains holding-tax periods means less infusion of cash into our economy. The trade wars with China will result in our defeat. In my pistachio orchard, like many other nuts and staples, we depend on China to buy 60 percent of our crops. This way we can produce enough to sell inexpensively to Americans. China does not need us; they would be just as happy buying their nuts from our top competitor, which is Iran.

In my liberal side, and living winters in El Paso where my house and law office are 1600 feet from Mexico, I know El Paso, which is full of “illegals,” is twice as safe as Cathlamet’s nearest (Longview). We often leave our front door wide open when we drive and use our back exit. There have been no break-ins over the last 20 years, unless you want to count the neighbor’s cat. Trump lies about the crime rates, lies about Mexico paying for the "Wall,” and never paid his bills for renting El Paso’s auditorium, at which he lied about his turnout.

No matter which party you like, as Americans, we should all respect our language. Many “illegals” try hard to learn English and can write in two languages better than many can do in one.

I hope ignorance and illiteracy will not win in the next election and embarrass our country. Both the Republican and Democratic parties offer better choices than the incumbent; in fact every candidate would be better than Trump. “Stupid is as stupid does.” Let’s not do it again.

Steve Fischer

El Paso (soon to be Skamokawa as well)