How many times in the last eight years have I said to myself “this is not normal”?
Background.
In July 1959 I enlisted for three years in the US Army. It was not out of patriotism. America was not at war, and lacking both purpose and confidence, I thought it would be an adventure – and maybe in the process I would mature a little.
Being pre-Vietnam, I never saw combat. After basic and advanced training, I was assigned as a truck and jeep driver in the 63rd Transportation Company at Fort Eustis, Virginia. Eighteen months later, the army decided I would make a good personnel clerk, trained me as such, and sent me to the 77th Medical Depot, an army hospital-base in Vitry-le-Francois, France. Our mission, at the height of the Cold War, was to care for the wounded if and when Soviets attacked our troops in West Germany.
I’ve always admired heroes, especially those who risk their lives in the service of others. That’s one of the reasons why, with my access to Army regulations, I took an interest in studying citations for award of decorations. That way, I could look at a dress uniform and see which medals had been awarded for heroism in combat. Medals for valor are always displayed on the top row of the “fruit salad” of ribbons over the left shirt pocket.
During my three years in the army I took the opportunity to talk privately with veterans of the Korean War who had been decorated for valor in combat actions. I found a common thread. None were braggards; modesty was the rule. All downplayed their heroism. I had to pry details from them. One who was awarded the Silver Star for defense of his comrades in repelling a “human wave” attack with his M1 Garand rifle told me “I was “just doing my job”.
Moving ahead to July 2015, presidential candidate Donald trump was asked by CBS pollster Frank Luntz what he thought about John McCain’s military service. Trump responded “He’s not a war hero, he’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured, okay? I hate to tell you.”
When I saw this exchange on TV I was shocked, dismayed, and angered. John McCain’s A-4E Skyhawk was shot down by a missile over Hanoi in October 1967. Taken prisoner, he endured five-and-a-half years of torture and ill treatment by his captors. He refused their propaganda-driven offer of early release because his fellow prisoners were not offered the same. For Donald Trump to denigrate McCain’s service in this manner was not only a display of abject ignorance (being captured is usually not an individual choice), but an affront to every veteran, living or dead, in our history. This from a man who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and avoided military service himself. This behavior was decidedly not normal.
Trump, as president, claimed that he hired only the best people. Why then, did his administration display the highest turnover of senior staffers of any administration I had ever seen? Why were most of those people saying he was a self-serving idiot or moron? This was not normal.
Trump has been impeached twice, lost a civil trial for groping a woman, had his university successfully sued for fraud, had his chief financial officer and personal lawyer jailed, and is currently defending against business fraud in New York. Our justice system is trying to figure out a way to schedule four other trials for crimes against the United States for which he has been indicted. Is this normal for any citizen, much less a former president?
Yesterday, Trump’s former Chief of Staff, Marine Corp General John Kelly, said Trump is “a person who admires dictators and murderous autocrats, a person that has no idea what American stands for, and has no idea what America is about.”
Kelly said Trump is “a person who thinks those who defend their country in uniform, or are shot down or seriously wounded in combat or spend years being tortured as POWs are all ‘suckers’ because ‘there’s nothing in it for them’.” Trump supporters, I ask you to think about that statement. Kelly said Trump “rants that our precious heroes who gave their lives in America’s defense are ‘losers’, and wouldn’t visit their graves in France. He said Trump is “a person that did not want to be seen in the presence of military amputees because ‘it doesn’t look good for me’.” Is this normal?
Kelly said Trump is not truthful regarding his position on the protection of unborn life, on women, on minorities, on evangelical Christians, on Jews, on working men and women.”
Trump’s niece, Mary Trump, says her uncle is loyal to only one person, himself. Cassidy Hutchinson, former assistant to Mark Meadows, said in her new book, Enough, that “Donald trump is loyal only to himself.” Yesterday, Trump’s former National Security Advisor, John Bolton, said “the only thing he cares about is himself.”
General Mark Milley, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said in his retirement speech last Friday that we in the service “do not take an oath to a king, or a queen, or a tyrant, or a dictator. We do not take an oath to a wannabe dictator.” For these remarks, Trump called for his execution!
Trump supporters. Don’t you get it? He doesn’t care about you. He cares only to the extent that you’ll give him your vote. He’s not loyal to you. With the slightest criticism he’ll drop you like a hot potato. Do you really want him in the White House again?
THIS IS NOT NORMAL!
Bob Moores retired from Black & Decker/DeWalt in 1999 after 36 years. He was the Director of Cordless Product Development at the time. He holds a mechanical engineering degree from Johns Hopkins University
RW Brennian says
Mr. Moores makes an interesting point. If one looks at the evidence for the items he mentions it does show that he is correct in his statements and it seems reasonable to come to the conclusion he has.
We are not in a normal situation as compared to what we should expect from anyone holding a high office be it Senator, Representative, or President. Strong opposing points of view are expected as is common civil behavior and professionalism. Today we see physical attacks on congress, disruptions of every sort, and lawmakers not following the law expressed by the free will of the people. In previous situations Nixon resigned Gore yielded etc. Moores statements are easily fact checked by anyone.
It is rare that anyone is all good or all bad. We have all made our mistakes which might not put us in the best light. It is therefore prudent to take a reasonable approach to such things and not be overly influenced by emotion, popular opinion, or by the very real problem of false information. Especially information that comes from foreign powers or hate groups with their own agendas which do not honor democracy and are not in the best interest of the average American citizen.
What is more important here is to look at the preponderance of evidence. It seems clear that Mr. Trump is very much conflicted and occupied with his self image as well as his self importance over that of the nation. One can easily understand his criticism of his opponents, but he seems to continually attack his own people with bulling, name calling, and the castigating of anyone that has a different view of things, no matter if they are right or wrong. Even the ones closest to him in his inner circle are subject to harsh treatment indiscriminately. What he seems to need is people around him that agree with him, not ones that might challenge him with more information and present new ideas and solutions. That in itself is a great detriment to anyone in a leadership position because no one has all the answers or can know everything.
I ask myself if he should have another shot at it. There are a number of things I consider. He was not able to accomplish many of the things he promised in his first presidency. Things like drain the swamp, his healthcare program, immigration and the building of the great wall which cost us millions for naught, not Mexico. There will be debate of course but if all is put on the scale I see it leaning on the lower side of accomplishment. Remember that Trump himself only likes winners. On top of that is the constant turmoil and dividing of the nation. Wouldn’t it be better to have someone that at least tries to bring people together instead of pitting them against each other? Mr. Trump also now has the mammoth job of defending himself against all the things he has been involved in over the last many years. Innocence or guilt is not the issue I would focus on here. We must maintain the rule of law and not assume what we would like it to be. We must also ask the question would he even be able to do the job effectively with all the pressure and the time required in representing himself against all these serious matters? It is apparent that under any circumstances he brings with him extreme baggage and difficulties that will only cause more chaos and disruption. That is something we have to avoid to move forward in solving the serious problems of our nation. The preponderance of evidence is very clear that he is not now the best choice for president.
There is one thing that puzzles me. That is the overwhelming support Mr. Trump gets from the evangelical / fundamentalist community. I grew up in that environment and am familiar with the tenets and requirements of the faith although I left some years ago. When I read the words of love your brother as yourself, or do unto others as you would have them do to you, or passages on patience and tolerance, the story of the good Samaritan, and so many more, I see a great disparity in the actions and philosophy of Mr. Trump regarding them. Christians seem to contradict their own sacred values in supporting Mr. Trump. To paraphrase Mr. Moores, something’s not right. We have a lot to think about as we come to the fork in the road not far ahead and you have the power to set a new and better direction.
RW Brennian