Hillary Clinton did not lose the election, the Democratic Party did. How? They seem to have lost their way. They didn't pander to the 20-some odd states in the middle of our great country and promise lower- and middle-class jobs. They promised health care, clean air and water, education, higher taxes on the rich, and so on. All worthy causes, and they need to be addressed, but you have to get into office first.

They should have taken a page out of '92 ("It's the economy stupid.") It's OK to be liberal and it's OK to be conservative, but until we learn to work out our differences we will have someone like Donald Trump leading our country.

He's threatened all kinds of actions when he gets into office and frankly we should be concerned. Now he wants to abolish the First Amendment because someone burned our flag. Don't get me wrong, I'm not for flag burning. There are many other ways to protest. But to put someone in jail for a year, or worse, deport them, is wrong.

His threats against protestors are the words of a dictator. Trump is not a conservative or even moderate Republican. Trump is an island unto himself.

Kenneth Gladd

Old Lyme