What’s Happening to Our America?

By Steve Lee | October 29, 2018 |  

Guest opinion | 

Yesterday’s headlines describe the heinous slaughter of innocent Jewish congregants, gunned down in their synagogue for no other apparent reason than their religious beliefs, seemingly motivated by comments from a guest on Lou Dobb’s show on Fox. The president stated they should have had an armed guard in front of their place of worship. Really? Armed guards in front of our churches and synagogues? In America?

Just days before that, a crazed lunatic fan of the president in Florida mailed off 14 pipe bombs to those who the president reviles daily in his tweets and speeches. These people, while despised by the president, are certainly not worthy of being killed for no other reason. It’s irrelevant that the lunatic was incapable of creating bombs that could actually explode. He intended to kill. His motivation was provided by our president.

Name calling, inciting, lying, unabashed egotism, narcissism, and ignorance, are all well-established traits of our Commander-in-Chief. It’s embarrassing to many Americans, while somehow motivational to others. His actions and words have divided this country like no other president ever has. 

He loves McDonald’s and watching tv, abhors reading, and according to the latest reports, keeps up to nine hours of his daily schedule unplanned. Really? Doesn't he have important things to do? Is his schedule really open nine hours a day? How much Fox News and Andy Griffith can a man watch?

This might all be okay if the world was at peace, my portfolio was making 10-percent annually, and health care for everyone in the country was affordable. None of this is happening. In fact, our deficit has continued to grow astronomically since “Mr. Art of the Deal” has taken over.

His references to North Korea’s Kim Jong Un as “little rocket man” and his statements that our button is bigger than his, essentially daring him to launch nuclear missiles at us I found incredibly scary alarming and totally inappropriate. He makes nice with the Russians who have no interest in our short or long-term wellbeing. 

A true leader brings people together, establishes common goals, displays courtesy, respect, and honesty and to all people, not just those who share his political views. A true leader shares victories with others and takes responsibility for failures.

In contrast, John Kennedy famously stated: 

“For of those to whom much is given, much is required. And when at some future date the high court of history sits in judgment on each of us — recording whether in our brief span of service we fulfilled our responsibilities to the state — our success or failure, in whatever office we hold, will be measured by the answers to four questions:

First, were we truly men of courage — with the courage to stand up to one’s enemies — and the courage to stand up, when necessary, to one’s associates — the courage to resist public pressure, as well as private greed?

Secondly, were we truly men of judgment — with perceptive judgment of the future as well as the past — of our mistakes as well as the mistakes of others — with enough wisdom to know what we did not know and enough candor to admit it?

Third, were we truly men of integrity — men who never ran out on either the principles in which we believed or the men who believed in us — men whom neither financial gain nor political ambition could ever divert from the fulfillment of our sacred trust?

Finally, were we truly men of dedication — with an honor mortgaged to no single individual or group, and comprised of no private obligation or aim, but devoted solely to serving the public good and the national interest?"

Courage - judgment - integrity - dedication - these are the historic qualities of true leaders.

How is it that we have allowed ourselves to elect a president that lacks not one, but each of these traits? Hopefully, we as a nation can respond as we have in past times of trauma and devastation. Our future generations may depend on it.