The President--Who's Responsible?

photo by art flick/ flickr

The good news is that President Trump passed his physical with flying colors. The bad news is that we can now hold him responsible for his words and actions. I cannot think of a single difficult event or decision that our President has taken responsibility for.  On the flip side, every positive sign since he has been in office he has taken credit for. All the negatives went to someone else.

The minions around President Trump rush to his defense of unaccountability.  He really did not say the vulgar words some say he used. He really has never lied. He really does not watch TV endlessly. He only occasionally plays golf. It is not clear at all that President Obama was born in the United States. He says he is not a racist—why would anybody say this? The firing of the FBI Director was all Mr. Comey’s doings. He never had any dealings with Russia and never sat in on meetings that involved them. Why would anybody want to see his tax returns? And when things get dull he really would not attack President Obama or Hillary Clinton or anyone else who has disagreed with him. The mayor of London. The Puerto Rican people who cannot handle their own crises. Or the FBI or the Justice Department and even the CIA. Or, of course the newspaper-TV world. The fake news seems to be everywhere. 

No, he is not mentally deranged. He is accountable for his actions which are cruel and selfish and hurtful to our great country. In one year he has altered the way so many for us feel about the country we love. And the way so many countries look at us today is embarrassing. 

photo by Paul Hanson / flickr

Weeks ago I saw the incredible film, Darkest Hour about Winston Churchill’s leadership as Prime Minister in England.  It was a gut-wrenching time for Mr. Churchill to stand up to his own people and many of his colleagues. He stood firm against the attempts to negotiate a peace with Nazi Germany.  He knew they could not be trusted. Everyone in England seemed to be against him. But the Prime Minister adamantly refused to follow public opinion. We now know he made the right decision. In England’s darkest hours they had a Prime Minister whose courage not only saved his country but also made his nation stronger. No wonder history called those hard days England’s finest hour. Churchill’s leadership made the difference.

On the heels of the movie I read Chris Matthews’ book on Robert Kennedy. It is a fascinating read about the shaping of the character and leadership abilities of the President’s brother. Born in a rich and powerful family Robert Kennedy stood courageously for the underdog. The poor, the Latinos, the blacks—all those that had been left out of the country. When he died and the train carrying his body moved from town to town people lined the railroad tracks knowing they had lost an advocate who worked tirelessly to make their lives better. One wonders if our history would have been different had he lived and become our President. Strong leadership is essential. 

photo by Eric B. Walker / flickr

Alongside the Kennedy book I have also been reading the biography of Abraham Lincoln by David Herbert Donald. We honor Lincoln as one of our greatest Presidents. After his assassination, as the horse-drawn casket passed through the Washington streets one black woman held her grandson high and said,“Take a long long look, honey he died for you.” Citizens everywhere knew he cared. As we stand before the Lincoln Memorial in Washington it is hard to hold back the tears. We are a better people because this President dedicated himself to the principle that all men are created equal. His leadership changed the nation.

There is enough chaos in our time without President Trump creating more havoc. He is responsible for the ugly things he has said about nations and about individuals. He has no idea the power of his words. He is accountable, not only to his base—whoever they are—but to all the American people. He took and oath to “protect and defend “ all our citizenry. It includes people of color, different races, every economic status and all those who come from other countries. This is the United States—united—-not to be divided. And the Commander in Chief has a responsibility to continue the dream of the more perfect union that our forbears envisioned. 

President Harry Truman reminded us that the buck really stops at the President’s desk. This is not fake news—it is the heart of who we are as a people. It is high time we hold our President accountable for his actions or lack of.

photo by Wally Gobetz / flickr

--Roger Lovette / rogerlovette.blogspot.com