Via Billy
A personal note from
Peter Ticktin who knows the guy from high school:
As a law firm, we at The Ticktin Law Group do not like to get involved
in politics. As soon as we endorse one side, we risk alienating
everyone on the other side. Also, our lawyers and staff are,
themselves, on both sides. Politics is not our game. However, Justice
is!
If you saw a guy get publicly smeared, and you knew him well
from the days you were friends and seniors together in high school, if
you knew him to be a decent and honest man, would you want to say
something? This is why I need to share what I know.
I was
aghast at watching last night's debate. It was a set-up. The
moderators, Cruz, and Rubio were all like little alligators trying to
take a bite out of Trump. Yes, Donald Trump has had some failures, but
he has been exceedingly successful. None of this came out. Instead,
there was a general attack. Rubio simply makes up lies. He pretends
that Trump has small hands and makes fun of him for something which
isn't even real. He pretends that Donald wets his pants, and makes fun
of him, as though it was true, and then he calls Donald Trump a "Bully."
I am not suggesting that you should vote or not vote for anyone. I just need to defend a former friend who is being smeared.
Like Donald Trump, I attended New York Military Academy ("NYMA") for
high school. In fact, in our senior year, together, Donald was my
captain, and I was his 1st Platoon Sergeant. I sometimes joke that I
ran his first company for him, Company "A."
People don't really
change much from the ages of 17 and 18, and I know this guy. I know him
to be a good decent guy. We lived and breathed an Honor Code in those
years. It wasn't just a rule. It was our way of life. Neither Donald,
nor any other cadet who graduated with us would ever lie, cheat, or
steal from a fellow cadet. These values became irreversibly intertwined
in the fabric of our personalities, of who we are.
Of the 99
guys (no girls in those days) in our class, there is not one who I know
who has a bad word to say about Donald Trump. Think of it. With all
the jealousies which arise in high school and thereafter, with all the
potential envy, not one of us has anything other than positive memories
of this man. How could we? He was an "A" student, a top athlete, and
as a leader, he was highly respected.
We never feared him, yet we never
wanted to disappoint him. He had our respect. He was never a bigot in
any way, shape or form. He only hates those who hate. Of course he
denounces the KKK
As to the discussion with the New York Times,
it is his choice to release the 'off the record' remarks.
However, if
he does, it opens the door for all political opposition to make that
demand for everyone, and that means that our press will never get those
'off the record' remarks which help them to understand the realities of
the campaign. Moreover, the idea that Donald Trump confessed some
alternate theory of his position is preposterous. Can anyone believe
that all those NY Times reporters are walking around knowing some deep
dark nasty secret about a guy who is seeking an endorsement?
The
Republican establishment is afraid of Donald Trump. Why? They are
afraid that he will lose to Hillary. They don't hate Donald. They hate
her. They are so fearful that they fail to see that by expanding the
base of voters for Trump, he is more likely to win.
Watching the
chorus of whiners, decriers, denigrators, and self-righteous put-down
experts from so many directions, from Mit Romney, to Megyn Kelly, Little
Mario, it has to make you wonder. Why? Why are so many people so
angry with Donald Trump, that they are lying, name calling, ridiculing,
and demeaning him as they do. Either they are afraid, or they know him
to be evil.
This is why I feel the need to speak out at this
time. I know this man. He is a lot of things, but he is not evil. He
is a decent honest guy who loves this country, and who is willing to
sacrifice so much of what is left of his life, because he knows that
this country needs to be fixed, and that it is going to require someone
who can do the job. He just doesn't see anything around him other than
political hacks, so he is willing to take this huge responsibility.
I'm not saying that he is the only one who can do the job. My point is simply as to his motivation and his goodness.
This next decade is going to be one of major changes. We all see the
climate changing, and the world food supply is getting lower. Our fish
stock around the world is running low. Oil prices will cause countries
to fail. The Middle East is beyond repair, and we have become weak and
ineffective around the world. Donald Trump sees the issues and knows
that he can assemble leaders who would have the best chance of fixing
things. This is why he is running. He does not need it for his own
aggrandizement. He doesn't need another big jet or to take up residence
in the White House. He just wants things to be fixed, and he knows
that the politicians won't fix anything.
I knew Donald Trump and
was close to him in our senior year in high school. I just want you to
know that there is nothing to fear from him. His character is as good
as it gets. He is a patriot, taking on a heroic task, and being thanked
by massive abuse.
If you want to see a true reflection of a man, look at his children. Need I say more?