Why #NeverTrump Is Wrong: A South Bay Republican's Perspective

This is a great country. For too many Americans, though, they
are not feeling it: sluggish economy, rampant terrorist attacks, defeated
morale, both here and abroad. Corrosive, subversive scandals have engulfed the Obama
administration (IRS, DOJ, Fast and Furious). Special interests are gaming the
system in an unprecedented, disturbing fashion. Look what happened to Bernie
Sanders during the Democratic Primary. The DNC (with disgraced Chairman Debbie
Wasserman-Schulz) was actively—illegally!—colluding to ensure a Hillary Clinton
coronation.

Despite these trying times, we should still share our
differences and be civil. And yet, the slow erosion of our social order should
concern us. The President has systematically attacked and sought to limit the
First Amendment. He has refused to enforce our laws on firearms and
immigration. He minimizes terrorism and maximizes micro-aggressions.  Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani was
right: “President Obama does not love America.” We need a President who does,
and that man is Donald Trump.

Let me provide some background.  As a conservative Republican, I stood behind other
candidates besides Trump. Scott Walker? Dropped out. Bobby Jindal? Bye-Bye. Ted
Cruz was my last hope. Trump crushed him in Indiana.

I resisted supporting Trump, but I knew that I was going to
vote for him. He may be a rodeo clown, but at least he’s bad-ass, not afraid to
ruffle feathers, not afraid to make the liberal media look like the fools they
are. Political correctness is hurting our country, and Donald Trump is the
epitome of political incorrectness. Trump is not a perfect candidate, but at
least he’s candid.

I do not think Trump is racist, either. I support a ban on
Muslim immigration until we “figure out what the heck is going on.” Islamic
affiliation is not a race, but a religion, and if we want to avoid the mass
murders that have exploded all over Europe, then we need to start telling it
like it is in regards to Islam and radical Islamists.

Then there’s “the wall.” One friend of mine actually
compared the construction of a wall along our southern border to the Berlin
Wall! What?! I believe that we would eliminate a lot of crime with a big
beautiful wall along the border.  We need
to secure our borders. Deportation orders have to stick. We do not need
amnesty, and we need more elected officials both in Washington and Sacramento to
stop the amnesty-pandering.

For South Bay residents, illegal immigration is not as
immediately detrimental to our quality of life, but the lawlessness along our
borders will not stay there. How many of our South Bay youth get pushed aside
or forced out of job opportunities and college courses because of legislation
which puts illegal aliens first? Do we have to witness our own Kate Steinle
murder along the Redondo Beach pier before South Bay residents take illegal
immigration seriously?

Bad trade deals have not hurt South Bay communities as they
have decimated the Rust Belt. Silicon Valley has remained immune to these
distorted trade deals, and in many cases profits from them. However, a free
market does not mean throwing your own country under the bus and allowing
companies to abuse the H-1B process. I wonder how aerospace employees would
feel if thousands of illegal alien engineers were crossing the border? Bad news:
it’s already happening.

National security matters, and not just against international
terrorism. Crime rates are up all over the country, including California. We do
need a Law and Order President, someone who will put Americans first, not criminals,
illegals, and dubious refuges.

Donald Trump has sacrificed key business contracts and taken
other hits to his brand for speaking the truth on three issues: illegal
immigration, imbalanced trade deals, and national security. These are the bread
and butter issues which propelled an unknown Virginia professor over House
Majority leader Eric Cantor in 2014. These are the same issues which will help
Trump win the White House and restore the United States to a proper footing.
The coalition of minorities and blue-collar voters which Trump is amassing across
the country is just the strategy which California’s Republicans need to win,
and can win if they focus on these goals: secure the border, improve the
state’s economy, safeguard the homeland.

Is this an offensive and illogical platform? I think not.

I have grave concerns when elected officials declare
outright #NeverTrump, even when they are Republicans. All the NeverTrumpers are wrong. I am voting for Donald Trump, and I hope you do, too.

Arthur Schaper is the President
of the Beach Cities Republicans (http://www.lagopclubs.com/beach-cities-republicans.html). The views expressed in this column are Schaper’s and
not the club's. Write to him at arthurschaper@hotmail.com.