Heading for the Light

The last of the leaves are hanging drenched in the cold November rain falling outside my window. Nature is reminding us here in Wisconsin to prepare for more time inside. The days are still getting shorter, but the winter solstice is just around the corner and soon we will be moving into the light. I think that’s a perfect metaphor for what needs to happen in America as we move forward. It is clear we have much to do if we are to keep the “darker angels” of our national character at bay and to create public policies that genuinely solve our problems. We all need to advocate for solutions that honor the best vision of America and also help everyone. I have some ideas I want to share, but there is some baggage to unpack first.

This is the one and only time I will discuss Donald Trump and his personal character. I have always believed that politics should be more about issues than personalities. We all have said and done things that we regret and it is possible for good people to disagree about issues. But this election has been different and I find it necessary to make the record clear about my own feelings.

 I was raised on a farm in southern Wisconsin. We worked hard and went to church every Sunday. I attended public school and worked multiple jobs to earn my way through college. Every adult in my life – parents, teachers, neighbors, professors, ministers – all had the same message about being a good and decent person. Work hard. Be honest. Be thankful. Be humble. Be generous. Be kind. Help others. Don’t cheat. Do it right the first time. Don’t cut corners. Apologize when you are wrong. Take responsibility for your actions. These were the things a good person should try to do. By these standards, Donald Trump is not a “good and decent” man.  There is no need to go over again the list of contemptible things Trump has said and done. Donald Trump is a small, vain, weak little man who got a lot of money from his father and has used it to manipulate others. To praise Trump because he got $10 million from his dad then swindled and cheated to make lots of money is like praising Anthony Weiner because he was really good at taking pictures with his phone. (Because Trump does seem unusually insecure about the size of his penis, I’m surprised he hasn’t shared some of his own pictures as well.)

Most disappointing, however, is to hear the excuses and apologies being used to ignore or cover up the petty, shallow person Trump is.  As Lincoln said, “You can call a jackass a thoroughbred, but everyone knows he’s still a jackass.”  It is not surprising that Trump lost the popular election by more than 2 million votes to Hillary Clinton. Thankfully, the majority of voters in America reject what Donald Trump stands for. He will be President, but that won’t make him decent or honorable. For those of you who believe the President of the United States does not need to be decent or honorable, I will leave it to history to decide. I am reassured that the majority of voters still believe character matters.

You may think my assessment of Trump is rather harsh, but it is important to note that despite the fact that he lost the popular election by 2 million votes, he will serve as the President. In any other situation, Trump could be ignored as the sleazy, little bully he is. We would all laugh at his ignorance and dismiss his phony bravado just like many other you tube celebrities. But today, as white nationalists, the KKK, and other assorted nut jobs who supported Trump come crawling out from beneath the rocks, we must be more vigilant than ever. We must help Trump understand that getting “followers” on social media is not a substitute for understanding issues. We must help him understand that we Americans – at least the majority who voted – want America to stand for something big. We do not want our leaders to be selfish and petty. We do not want our leaders to be bullies and braggarts. We do not want leaders who try to make themselves look important by putting other people down. We want leaders who understand we can never be great if we are not good and decent first. The majority has spoken. We must make certain Trump listens.