A Modest Proposal

Or, the Playground Rule

Politics and children’s sports have at least one fact in common:  Children frequently behave more maturely than adults.  Witness, O reader, the continuing, nation-degrading saga of Donald Trump, Il Duce with a combover or whatever one calls that growth on his head.  Nothing ever seems to be his fault, especially when he makes decisions; just ask him or read his tweets.  One might recall President Harry Truman’s motto,

The buck stops here.

Oh, for a President of the United States who understood his personal and official responsibility, and who consistently behaved with dignity!  Really, is public dignity too much to expect from leaders?

In the context of the most recent round of name calling (including the use of animal terms) from the temporary occupant of the Oval Office, I offer a modest proposal:  No behavior that fails to pass muster on an elementary school playground should be acceptable in politics.  Nobody should excuse such behavior, from children or adults.

For the rest of the day I will avoid the news, given that I have heard too much already.  I want to avoid becoming a negative, angry person, after all.  I have managed to get this far into the day with out swearing, and I hope to end the day the day the same way.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

AUGUST 14, 2018 COMMON ERA