I’m tired of coming off like a Trump apologist and feeling the need to defend someone who is often indefensible. Why then do I do it? Because the one thing I hate more than anything else is hypocrisy. No, actually, I hate willful stupidity more. Wait, what I hate most of all is those who know the truth, know better, but lie with impunity to intentionally deceive others for the sole purpose of seeking power for themselves. Take your pick of who tops that list, A) the media, B) politicians, or C) unelected swamp rats AKA Deep Staters. That’s actually a trick question because the answer is D) All of the Above.

Those are my general hates, ones which I’m sure many others will agree. There is one category of individuals whom I truly loathe with every fiber of my being. I won’t make you guess but those who know me won’t be surprised at the answer – those who callously use the greatest pain a human being can know, the death of a child, in furtherance of their own agendas. May you rot in your own well-earned, specially reserved place in Hell. I mean that with all my heart.

What brought on this bout of hatred and loathing? Let’s call it Trump-Russia conspiracy 2.0. Before we cue up the next round of Congressional hearings, let’s look at some truths.

First, if this is true intelligence, whoever leaked it should be tried for treason. Same goes for every swamp rat that leaks any intelligence with an aim to undermine this President. These leaks do not erode the trust or support of the President, they reinforce his popularity. Rightly or wrongly, these leaks convince Average Joe and Average Jane America there are no ends to which politicians, the swamp and Deep State, with the gleeful assistance of the media, will not go in their attempts to smear the President.

These leaks make him a victim, and you know how Americans love the underdog, particularly when that underdog beat the odds and won. Remember, literally through election night in 2016, every pundit on every media outlet predicted Trump would lose.

So, Average Joe and Average Jane America look at all this vitriol and say, “yeah, he may be arrogant, bombastic, and a narcissist but I would respond the same way if I, my family, my child, were being attacked 24/7/365. So many of the attacks are just twisting his words and intentionally misrepresenting what he said anyway. And then when the accusations are proven false, crickets”.

I simply cannot fathom how those constantly attacking Trump don’t understand that Average Joe and Average Jane America take these relentless attacks on the President as personal. Yes, Trump is a billionaire and when he is no longer the President of the United States he will go back to a billionaire lifestyle Average Joe and Average Jane America can’t even imagine. Yet, they identify with him. They see these powerful forces unfairly and unjustly attacking him, undermining him and trying to remove him from office.

Average Joe and Average Jane America take particular exception to that last part, as they are the ones who voted him into that office. Many may not have voted for him as much as against his opponent, but undermining Trump means undermining the Office of the President and the system of government that is the bedrock of their worldview.

Next truth up for consideration is, if this is true intelligence, there really is no surprise here and it really isn’t – or shouldn’t be – news to anyone with a brain. Granted, most leakers and their willing mouthpieces in political circles and the media have long since proven they don’t have a brain, but rest assured there are lots of smart people in both our military and intelligence gathering agencies. Average Joe and Average Jane America are pretty smart, too.

The smart people know Russia is our enemy. The current Russian regime is well-populated with Soviet hard liners. The Soviet Union fell for many reasons, among which was their disastrous decision to attempt to invade, colonize and subjugate Afghanistan. Afghanistan is called the graveyard of Empires for a reason, and Russia is hoping to bury the United States alongside the Soviet Empire in that ancient dirt.

The last truth on this topic the above hated trifecta would do well to understand is, if this intelligence is correct, we need to remember why the Taliban and others in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere may be in need of a new funding source. First guess at that answer is, those pallets of cash and hundreds of millions in Iranian assets the former administration gave to Iran have probably run out. Average Joe and Average Jane America are smart enough to realize the bullets and bombs used against our troops aren’t being paid for by people who don’t have running water.

Now, for the part of this whole situation that makes me truly sad …

To the families of Cpl. Robert A. Hendriks, Sgt. Benjamin S. Hines and Staff Sgt. Christopher K.A. Slutman, please accept my condolences and advice. Those of us who are on this Gold Star journey longer than you know what you’re going through. Over the years we’ve heard similar stories that someone, somewhere knew or should have known something that wasn’t acted upon that may have prevented our loved one’s death. Many of us have been contacted by bottom-feeding lawyers who want to file lawsuits against foreign governments or entities, and even against American companies or individuals, for their supposed role in funding the war that cost our loved ones their lives.

We understand the desire, the natural need, to blame someone. Even when we stand in proud acknowledgment of the sacrifice our loved one willingly risked, we feel if there were only someone to blame, to hold responsible, our pain would soften. The idea that the loss of our loved one was preventable is one that haunts us all.

How do we live with this? How do we not scream, yell, demand someone tell us something that will make sense of it all? The answers to those questions, ultimately, must come from within ourselves. But, there are some things we can share with you, some truths that have been learned the hard way by too many others.

All of us know that no matter who is to blame, our loved one is gone. All of us know this impossible mixture of pain and pride will be our constant companion for the rest of our lives. Those of us further down the path none want to walk know one sad truth above all others…there will be many who will callously use our pain, our loss for their own purposes. We’ve been there and probably will be again, and we’re so very sorry for the additional pain you’re experiencing right now.

We also know that the best thing you can do, for yourself, is not let yourself be used. We’ve seen too many Gold Stars get even further destroyed by those who would use our pain for their purposes. Please heed this warning and know the sad truth that a broken heart can be broken even further. We hope and pray this doesn’t happen to you. That is a special pain that can literally be too much to bear. And we hope and pray those who callously inflict that pain on you experience a measure of their earned special place in Hell while on this side of the veil.