I see the attack and accusations against Mr. Trump in the Oct. 20 Auburn Reporter and wonder yet again just how people know how Mr. Trump paid his employees at his businesses. Were you employed by his organization? Then where did you come by this information?

He is a businessman and of course, he profited from trade deals, of course, he outsourced jobs, and of course, he avoided taxes where he could. Why should he do business differently than any other business? Why should the rules for Mr. Trump be different than the rules for the rest of us?

Our government officials negotiated and approved the trade deals, put in place the high taxes that send businesses overseas and wrote the tax laws for businesses and private citizens.

My questions are: since when did it become the responsibility of our government to tell businesses large and small how to run their business; whom to serve; how much to pay employees; how many paid leave days must be given; and whom they can employ? Our politicians, many who have never run businesses, have buried their noses way too far in how we should live and work.

We are losing our Republic. We are moving away from our freedoms. This Republic is supposed to be of the people, for the people and most importantly by the people.

Please, before you vote, do some critical thinking and do not just rely on what someone else has told you because they are telling you how to think. Our Republic and our freedom are at stake. Get your own information, make your own decisions. And please vote.

– Cathern Edenholm