He went on to say that President Trump has given most of his salary as President to charity, and insisted that that Trump just wants to protect our freedom, jobs, safety and borders ,My friend closed his comment with the assertion that he was an "independent" politically, and while he didn't like everything about Trump, he was mostly tired of what he saw as the moral failings of the Democrats.
Recently I made a visit back the BSA Summer Camp I attended when I was a boy. Lining the road into camp were 12 carved wooden signs. Each with a point of the Scout Law on them. Years later I staffed a summer camp in Western Massachusetts where the steps leading up to the camp's dining hall each had one of the points of the Scout Law engraved on them.
It is not hatred of Donald Trump, Rather, it is horror at what he is doing and how he is doing it. You cannot still support Trump and use “I am an independent and I hate both parties” as an excuse. It’s like people in Kentucky who cheer the gutting of environmental laws because they have bought into the idea that letting an Aluminum factory ( a Russian financed Aluminum factory , but that is a whole other issue…) dump lead into their drinking water, is somehow “owning the Libs” When in reality it is just poisoning their kids
If we use the Scout Law as our metric, the case is only too clear. To support this President,is to be a willing participant in enabling the worst in all of us, The ungodly, the treasonous and the horrific, all because the imperfect annoys you.
The use of the Scout Oath and Law as a political metric or compass is something that deeply resonates with many of us for whom Scouting has been an integral and formantive part of our lives. I certainly have gone back to those twelve points many times in my life, for guidance. And always when I step into the Voting booth. So, in response to my friend I decided to assess the 45th President of the United States against those familiar twelve points.
- TRUSTWORTHY. - Donald Trump is a pathological liar. He has no concept of the truth. He will say ANY thing if it supports his position or will make him look/ feel good.
- LOYAL– Donald Trump is loyal only to himself, certainly not to any of his 3 wives, not to his employees and not to the United States. Ask Jeff Sessions, or even better, ask Rex Tillerson how loyal Trump is.
- HELPFUL - Trump has gutted education programs like head start, Pre-k , Pell Grants all designed to help Americans learn , grow and achieve. He has made the LEGAL immigration process as difficult as possible as a political tool to stoke a racist voter base. Creating obstacles to both Americans and would-be Americans for no other reason than it plays well with less than 30% of the electorate.
- FRIENDLY- Trump is a vulgar clown who trades in obscenities and insults. Juvenile nicknames, crude and even bigoted insults that would get most any Scout kicked out of camp is daily fare on the Presidential Twitter feed.
- COURTEOUS - Trump literally shoved other world leaders out of the way so he could be in front at a photo call.
- KIND – Trump has ripped children from their families (Lied about it being an Obama policy) then housed them in cages and sought to deliberately punish asylum seekers. He has made cruelty official US Government policy
- OBEDIENT – The Hatch Act, the US Government records Act, Federal Election campaign finance laws, The Freedom of Information Act all routinely violated. In addition to multiple cases of alleged obstruction of justice.
- CHEERFUL - Cheer is something Trump engages in at the expense of others, be it a disabled reporter, or women of color serving in congress or disaster victims in Puerto Rico. For Trump ridicule of others is a staple.
- THRIFTY - He has exploded the national debt and the US budget deficit. With unpaid for tax cuts, and reckless spending on his own vanity. (The 4th of july "event" and his "Wall" to name just two.) He has spent more taxpayer money on GOLF trips in 2 years than the Obama Administration spent on ALL Presidential travel in 8 years.
- BRAVE – Cadet Bone Spurs lied to avoid service in Vietnam then mocked men who did serve. He is a coward.
- CLEAN – Trump may be a germaphobe but apparently that is not a deterrent against grabbing women by the pussy. He has been credibly accused by 19 women of sexual assault.
- REVERENT - Trump’s God is himself, He is a serial adulterer, who has multiple credible accusations of having paid for women to get abortions. He has stolen, he covets, he lies, so if the ten commandments are one of your political metrics? Then supporting Trump suggests either hypocrisy on a biblical scale, or total ignorance of what the scriptures actually say.
That isn't being an independent, It is being an enabler of all that stands in direct conflict with the values Scouting represents.
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