To the Editor:

When someone submits a Letter to the Editor, you expect comments back. But this political season, it’s easy to tell who/where the comments come from. If there’s a comment that’s insulting, arrogant, inaccurate or just plain stupid it comes from Trump supporters. Doesn’t make any difference if a letter is true, accurate fact-checked and respectful, the comment is always inaccurate, demeaning, insulting, and just down right rude just like their candidate is.
I’m a northerner, raised in Rhode Island, and moved to The Villages in May 2020. My father was a World War II vet of Normandy, my mother, the granddaughter of Irish immigrants. They worked hard, dad in a lace mill, and a proud union member, mom in the mills making uniforms for U.S. troops and later as a waitress. They taught me respect, to treat others equally, they were NOT racist and worked hard to help pay for my Catholic education. I went from Sisters of Mercy, to Christian Brothers, to Dominican Friars, I graduated in 1970. They taught me values, the ideas of the Bible and how to live a good life. My 28 years as an Army Reserve officer, taught me values an officer needs to have, knowledge, honesty, trust and putting your people first.
So when I do write a Letter to the Editor most replies from Trump supporters, who are either MAGA, Villagers for Trump, conservative far right, or know nothing about how government really works want me to move back Across the Mason-Dixon line, crawl under, a rock, or accuse me of being a WOKE Democrat. I AM none of these, a Democrat, yes, a retired union member as a teacher of social studies and history and a football coach for over 30 years. I even experienced “The Blindside,” the movie, taking in a former football black player as his guardian. He’s now the assistant head football coach at Brown University in Providence, R.I. I’M Not WOKE.
I was taught if you don’t have anything good to say to some just walk away. I don’t have anything good to say to Villages Trump supporters, avoids a lot of arguments because you can’t fix stupid.

Ray Dube
Haciendas at Mission Hills