LETTER: Respect The Presidency

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The following is a response to Matt from Harleysville who submitted a letter to the editor a few days ago concerning our responsibility in society to being a good parent.

Matt asks, without defining his political view (Matt’s words, not mine), how to instill a strong set of values in children when faced with Trump’s behavior. Matt then suggested in some way that Trump is following in the steps of Nixon. And in Matt’s non-political view we have a trend of unfit presidents that Matt is faced with as examples to share with his children.

Well Matt, it is quite easy. Have your child follow the high standards set by the last two democratic presidents.

First we have President Clinton. He had oral sex with an intern young enough to be his daughter (did I mention that act was in the Oval Office?). Then lied to Congress and to the American people and was impeached.

Or you could follow the high moral conduct of our most recent democratic president. He lied to us repeatedly about such things as Obama Care. He had his staff lie to us about Benghazi. He allowed his staff to hide behind Presidential privilege about gun running in Mexico. Or there was the unmasking of Trump and associates related to surveillance during the most recent election.

Matt, there are other examples to share with your children.

Does anyone remember the vulgarity of Vice President Biden when he said to the President, in front of millions of viewers “this is a big fxxxing deal” referring to Obamacare.

Or you could use as your moral compass the speech by Senator Reid on the floor of the Senate, when he declared that Mitt Romney didn’t pay his taxes.

Or we have the news agencies to use as moral standards for you children. There is CNN and MSNBC. In just the last year we know that they fed questions to Hilary in her quest to beat Bernie. We know that they published false stories about Trump that they retracted. Their dialogue about Trump was, and is, less the reporting of news and more op-ed.

Politics is an ugly game. Both sides play dirty. No one party has a monopoly. It is not a children’s game.

Seriously Matt, I have a non-political suggestion for you in discussion morals with your children. Shy away from political leaders as moral examples. But if and when you talk politics, speak with respect about the office of president, regardless of which side is in office. Tell your children that we have the best political system in the world, and that every 4 years we vote for President. If your side loses, begin to work toward a better candidate for the next election. If your side wins, be a humble winner. It is you that diminishes yourself in the eyes of your children when you mock the office of president, or spread lies about him/her. President Trump is our president and will be so for the next 3 ½ years. Let’s make this a better country, not tear it down. Then let us go back to the polling booth and either re-elect Trump or elect a new President.

-Tom, of Lansdale, PA

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