November 20, 2020

A sense of decency and U.S. politics

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Dear Editor:

When Donald Trump first announced his interest in running for president of the United States, he said some things that aroused my interest: that he wanted, and knew how, to change the political stagnation in Washington. His business experience would help.

But it wasn’t too long before the dark side of the man appeared. He insulted his fellow Republican presidential aspirants by demeaning and ridiculing them with nicknames. He publicly mocked a man who had a severe physical disability. He publicly disrespected a deceased military man and his Gold Star family. On the international level, he was rude to Angela Merkel as he cozied up to Vladimir Putin, no friend to Ukraine. Examples of this shameful behavior could go on. On a personal level it is known that the man is not truthful. He knows little of the Christian faith, yet parades himself Bible in hand.

There are some who give him a pass for he is a “flawed” individual, as we all are. They acknowledge this and say they still voted for him. Yet that vote affirms his behavior, and his moral and ethical values as well. And half of our population seems to say that his sinful and bankrupt values are OK because he upholds their political views.

Today we need a Joseph Welch, who once asked of Joseph McCarthy: “Have you no sense of decency, sir?” Would that one Republican legislator so challenge the president of the United States? Just one.

Father Michael Fill
Hackensack, N.J.

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