Donald Trump has crossed a line. A big one. Though I’ve watched him for months in outright horror, sickened by all he stands for and dumbfounded by his popularity, his latest stunt has gone so far that it’s pushed me beyond outrage. I now find myself in a position in which I want to thank him.

Thank you, Donald, for illuminating what I value in life.

Thank you, Donald, for demanding that everyone in your presence call you “Mr. Trump” out of respect, so I can feel very confident in addressing you as “Donald.”

Thank you, Donald, for being so loud that we are forced to hear you. Thank you for verbalizing the fears we hold inside of us and sometimes cover up with platitudes and niceties.   You’ve shown us the value of political correctness by demonstrating the complete opposite. You have exposed your true nature instead of wrapping it in fancy ribbon, so we can see and hear what we are dealing with.

Thank you for being so extreme that we can see the severity of our actions before we take them.

Thank you, Donald, for personifying the hatred, fear and vengeance that our enemies possess so we can understand the danger we are dealing with. You’ve shown us the same qualities we see in domestic and foreign terrorists. You’ve shown us how rampant the fear is, and how important it is that we do something about it.

Thank you for being the embodiment of all I detest about my world, and, sometimes, myself. Thank you for showing me what it looks like to give in to fear and hatred so I don’t fall into that trap myself.

Thank you for solidifying my commitment to kindness, reverence and compassion.

Thank you for wrapping your successful image in a racist, bigoted, sexist package so atrocious that we are forced to see through it.  You’ve shown me through your comments about your daughter’s body how you objectify and degrade members of my sex. If ever you were to respect a woman, surely it would be your own daughter, yet you’re so extreme that you’ve forced me to realize that your sexism is beyond all doubt. You’ve shouted at the top of your lungs about how people with different skin colors are rapists and criminals until I’ve cringed at the thought of sharing the same skin color as you.

Thank you, Donald, for forcing me to redefine success, not in terms of money and power but in terms of kindness and compassion. You’ve shown me without a doubt that success in business doesn’t equate to success in life and is truly not what I want to emulate or teach my sons.

Thank you, Donald, for exposing the fear inside of me and showing me the racist ideas that exist in my heart no matter how I try to deny them, so I can acknowledge and move beyond them. You’ve struck a chord with some of the things you’ve said in the name of safety and security, and given me a mirror into my own soul. You’ve shown me how easy it would be to give in to the selfish aspects of my character under the guise of security. You’ve given me a reason to fight the self-serving urges in myself so I can become a better citizen of the world.

Thank you for reminding us what our Constitution stands for and showing us how we’ve strayed from the path.   You have forced us to stand up for what our founding fathers fought for – freedom of religion and freedom from oppression. You’re giving us a chance to go back to our principles and face our modern troubles with the perspective of history.

Thank you for making a mockery of our American ideals so we can reevaluate them.

Thank you for showing me that in the realm of humanity, evil will never win. The darkest sides of our world will never win, because our world is also full of goodness and beauty and truth.

Thank you for showing me what side I’m on.

Thank you, Donald, for so clearly demonstrating what is no longer good enough for our nation, so we can rise above.