Local Opinion: I thought Trump wouldn't be bad. He was worse

In 2016 when Donald Trump became the Republican Party’s nominee for president, I listened with great hope when he talked about shaking things up and “draining the swamp.” I thought, “perhaps a businessman, who hasn’t played ‘politics as usual’ might bring about a needed change.”

So, I voted for Donald Trump in 2016.

After the election, my sister desperately pleaded with me. She believed that Trump would devastate America and American ideals. I responded, “Don’t you think that’s a bit dramatic”?

It wasn’t.

I am blessed to have two parents alive at 95 and 99 years old living in Arizona. They are healthy and married for over 65 years. They, too, voted for Trump in 2016. At this age, routine is important, and because of this raging pandemic, their lives have been turned upside down. We have been sequestered in our homes since March 7 because it is unsafe for them, and me as their primary assistant, to venture out. We live in fear because our leadership has left us to fight this on our own.

But it didn’t have to be this way.

In April, Gov. Doug Ducey seemed to have a plan, with appropriate closures and guidelines with social distancing and mask wearing. He seemed to be dealing with the crisis with assuredness and independence, different from other governors kowtowing to Trump.

As Trump gaslighted Americans on safely reopening the economy and how the “hoax” was miraculously going to disappear, Ducey implemented a plan. During that time, cases were down and hospitals were operating as normal.

But then, Trump announced he would visit Arizona, and horrifyingly within days, the restrictions were lifted, CDC recommendations rebuked, the testing protocols, the notion of contact tracing — “poof.” One day, they just all magically disappeared.

My family, and Arizona, have suffered ever since.

As of this date, nearly 4,000 Arizonans have died. On July 31 alone, 68 people were recorded as having lost their lives to this virus. The number of infected in Maricopa County is higher than many other states.

And these aren’t just numbers. Trump’s lack of a plan has seeped into the fabric of our day-to-day life.

I have had three healthy friends in their 50s who have died from COVID, and know dozens who have contracted it.

My mother had a stroke three weeks ago. She was disoriented and we were scared, yet we were told not to bring her to the emergency room because she would be alone, none of us could hold her hand, or sit with her at this time of need and that it would be a certain death sentence for her. Her life was imminently in more danger going to the hospital than managing her from home.

It’s been more than 130 days that we have been relegated to stay home. We now have a life resigned, detached and void of fellowship. There are no bridge games, chess tournaments, or veteran coffees; no family dinners with the grandchildren, no visitors, no Sunday church services.

At almost 100 years old, my parent’s final years have been stolen from them by incompetent leadership in our White House.

We are desperately in need of common sense. A leader with competence, that will listen to science and experts in the field of immunology and health. We need to get our children back to school safely and not one minute before. We need to get people back to work and start to repair our economy, but it has to be done safely and with an intelligent plan ... it’s obviously not coming from Trump.

There is no question what needs to be done. We need a new president.

We can’t change our votes in 2016, but we can make sure this never happens again. The Trump experiment has failed.

This lifelong Republican is voting for Joe Biden.