I am writing this so that my children and grandchildren know exactly where I stood with the candidacy of Donald Trump.
Spoiler: He has spoken against everything I have ever held dear as an American, as a parent, and as a human being.
I may have initially viewed his candidacy as a curiosity, because while he has been well known for quite some time, I was completely unaware of his story. That was on me, and my ignorance in understanding what he has done in his life and what he represents is shocking in retrospect.
The way he has talked about, and acted towards, women is despicable. Sexual assault is indefensible and rampant in this country, his crimes have been monstrous. Having sexually assaulted his own wife during a fit of rage following a botched hair procedure, domestic violence is another huge strike against him and a sad reflection of this country's inability to prosecute wrongdoing.
He has attacked the Pope and the disabled, veterans and NATO, the ten commandments and the Constitution. He has spoken against loyal allies of this country, and praised murderous dictators. He has vowed to commit war crimes.
The evidence of his inability to lead and his inability to accept evidence to inform his worldview is shocking- he was tricked by his own campaign manager into selecting Pence as his VP over Christie, he has stolen from his own charity. He has promised followers to donate to his own campaign while giving $0 in the previous month.
He has destroyed evidence, including emails, in court cases showing fraud and discrimination.
His businesses are built on a mix of crime, tax loopholes, mirrors and inheritance. Though losing billions of dollars while the economy is doing well is a special case of failure. And his net worth as a human being is bankrupt several times over.
This is in no way a comprehensive list of why he is unfit to lead the nation, let alone look after small animals. Nor does it need to be, any one of the above would be disqualifying were we in a better time.
He has no close friends, which is perhaps why he does not laugh. Then again, laughter is a sign that whatever horrible thing we have seen or encountered is not really horrible, it is a false alarm.
So with Trump, the apparently horrible behavior, language, actions and thoughts are deeper truths. The horror at the core of his very being is beyond laughter.