I am one of those “suburban housewives” Donald Trump thinks love him, but this suburban housewife doesn’t. In fact I am very scared right now, and it’s because of him.

My family – like all of us in this country – still can’t all be together because of COVID-19. Had the president taken the lead as other leaders have around the world, we would be in a very different place. Businesses would be doing better already. Schools would have a chance of opening.

The riots we see on TV are encouraged by the president. He knows that violence can drive us further apart. And it’s working. We were starting to unify around the issue of systemic racism, but that was scary to him. So, he had to “fix it” by throwing fuel on the fire. The numbers don’t lie: Before federal troops were unleashed on Portland, Oregon, this summer, the number of protesters was decreasing. The federal presence only invited more clashes between police and protesters.

The president and his associates are not thinking about my family at all. And I’m a “suburban housewife” he thinks supports him. Imagine if I were someone Trump didn’t care about.

So I’m scared, but Democrat Joe Biden gives me hope. Biden has time-tested leadership skills and compassion. He can make us safer. Not because he’s flashy or fiery, but because he’s smart and capable of taking on the challenges we’re facing. Vote as if your life depends on it. Because it does. Vote for Joe.

LeAnne Grillo
Harpswell