Dear Mr. Trump:

You can’t make this up. Now, you’ve banned the words “fetus,” “transgender,” “vulnerable,” “entitlement,” “diversity,” “evidence-based,” and “science-based” from use by the Centers for Disease Control and other government agencies. This is conduct worthy of the Soviet Union. I presume it was your bosom-buddy friend Putin who gave you this advice.

Please remember that you swore an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States (a document that you never read). The First Amendment states, in no uncertain terms, that federal and state governments “shall make no law …abridging the freedom of speech.” Yes, I know it’s an amendment you don’t care for and I know you were not serious about your oath, but perhaps some brave CDC employee will take you to court, where a judge who knows the law will rule in favor of free speech.

Sir, if you are really going to strike words for the dictionary, however, then banning the following words is in keeping with your personality and policies:

“respect” – You should prevent Americans from using this word “respect,” because if they think of respect they may understand that you have no respect for our country’s institutions or for any human being, other than yourself and your billionaire friends.

“love” – You should prohibit the word “love,” because if Americans remember this word they might think it’s their obligation to love their neighbor, as the Bible tells us, and you have no love for America’s neighbors or anyone who’s not White, male, and Christian.

“truth” – You should ban the word “truth,” because you’ve demonstrated you have no regard for it, and if Americans think of “truth” they might focus on your unending, disgusting lies, e.g., that the reputation of the FBI is in tatters, that members of your campaign – including your son and your son-in-law – did not collude with the Russians, that President Obama was not born in the United States.

“compassion” – You should ban the word “compassion,” because it reminds us that your decision to rob future generations needlessly, to pay more money to corporations and today’s rich through your so-called tax reform, is the least compassionate thing you could do.

So, Sir, do you see how much more you could accomplish by banning just these four words, instead of the first seven you’re banning right now? Oh, wait. The other four words are on the next list? That list is coming out as soon as these first seven words are gone?

Now I understand.

Very truly yours,

Bruce J. Berger

P.S. — Don’t think for a second that, by disabling the “Get in Touch” function on WhiteHouse.gov, you’re going to stop me and others from writing to you.