It does not take a particularly civilized mindset to do recognize some basic standards in how you should conduct yourself. Yet here in the United States, we have an elected leader who fails to manage even this minimal level of basic human decency.
Admittedly, I have long been at a loss to understand how millions of people seem to continually find excuses for this man's ridiculous and inexcusable conduct, let alone to the virtual worshiping at this man's feet that millions of Americans seem to feel towards this man. Then again, if you had asked me years ago whether mostly rural voters allegedly skeptical of big city slicker types would have taken to an elitist billionaire who does not go to church, boasts about cheating on his multiple wives, and is known mostly for relying on deceit to get his way, and has behavioral meltdowns when he does not get his way, like a child throwing a tantrum, I would have thought it impossible.
Yet, here we are. It is 2019, and we have Donald Trump in the Oval Office. Rural voters supported him, and you could seriously argue that it was supposedly devout Evangelical Christians who have remained most loyal, even passionate, towards this man. Apparently, no matter what he actually has done that contradicts their allegedly more reserved, more straightforward ideas of what a truly good person is or does or believes, they excuse everything, every excess that this man regularly displays, and then passionately defend him when the "Fake News" reveals unsavory truths about their man, or actually simply report the news of what he actually did or said, when it seems especially unflattering. So passionate are some, that many literally seem to be ready to pick up arms and wage war against their fellow Americans in order to defend this man.
It is hard not to wonder why, when he continually acts in such a manner that lacks even remotely decent behavior.
Once again, Trump seemed to serve up platitudes when it came to a truly horrific hate crime. He hardly even seemed to make a point of distancing himself from the murderer in New Zealand when that man referenced Trump by name as a symbol of what he believed in, and what pushed him to do what he did and kill 50 people. Namely, white supremacy.
Still, even though Trump hardly spoke much about the New Zealand massacre, other than offering standard sympathy with that nation and expressing typically inadequate and, frankly, instinctive descriptions of it as an evil act (again, without addressing why this man seemed to view Trump as some kind of hopeful symbol of the white race), he did have a busy weekend focusing on other matters, such as whining about what he feels is unfair treatment that he receives from a comedy show, to the point of threatening legal action.
And, of course, there are the personal attacks against John McCain. That much he has done before. The only thing? McCain is dead.
Now, most people tend to hold back from attacking dead people. It is one of those rarely spoken about rules, and it is rarely spoken about probably because it seems so damn obvious. It is just not something that most people would do.
Yet, instead of clarifying his own position and making sure that people did not get alarmed by the fact that a man who killed 50 people a week ago actually mentioned Trump by name as a symbol of white hope, Trump basically just shrugged that off, seemingly as not important (he claimed that he had not heard that at all, and then never actually elaborated on his own feelings regarding it), and then went on and on this weekend about the late Senator John McCain.
This kind of behavior is, frankly, sick behavior. I am not saying that merely in terms of stating that it is sickening, because almost everyone agrees with that - with the notable exception of the tens of millions of loyal Trump supporters, who always make an exception for their man. But to be that low as to launch those kinds of attacks, and to do so in that timing, when so much of the country, and indeed the world, is devastated by the recent mosque killing in New Zealand?
Well, there is something seriously wrong with this man. Seriously wrong, as in mental illness. It just is not something that is done, but you get the feeling that Trump cannot help himself at this point. And it makes you wonder about the state of mind of his loyal supporters, who continually empower this man to go further and further still with such ridiculous behavior. There is a complete absence of limits, and this man and his loyal following keep pushing that, to the detriment of the country that they profess to love.
And so, I thought it was something that we should reflect upon. To that end, I added two links which explore this bizarre conduct, and I recommend taking a look at them. One merely reports on the president's actions and words toward McCain in recent days, and the other explores what it reveals about Trump's mindset.
These are the two articles that I used in writing this particular entry:
A Damaged Soul and a Disordered Personality Trump’s continuing attacks on John McCain reveal a worrisome state of mind. MAR 18, 2019 Peter Wehner Contributing editor at The Atlantic and senior fellow at EPPC
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/03/trump-tweets-attack-john-mccain/585193/?utm_medium=offsite&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=newsstand-ideas&fbclid=IwAR3r8Lwwf4E4uj_J9QO6cVixPW6XBqXZkaPzrJYIhkbA38B07PD9OAeS6Gg
Trump blasts McCain, bemoans not getting 'thank you' for funeral BY BRETT SAMUELS - 03/20/19:
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/434979-trump-blasts-mccain-bemoans-not-getting-thank-you-for-funeral?fbclid=IwAR3QC5SQ9YjWmoVLgsdaHal_5s0pYn3vRSgQCGPyFVwZJQpuILzODeayqWE
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