Who he is/Who we are

It’s not about ideology.

It’s not about politics or parties.

It’s not about policies and programs.

It’s not about age.

It’s about character.

You know what I mean.

This is it, folks. This is not merely—and not most importantly—the reckoning of a man who once represented our country and wants to do so again. It is—more importantly--a test of who we really are. We know about his character. What about ours?

Let’s review:

Character is the composite of a person's moral and ethical qualities that shape thought, behavior, and interactions. Character influences how one navigates life.

A person of character is trustworthy, honest, truthful, and transparent.

A person of character takes responsibility for his actions and their consequences.

A person of character is dependable, respectful, fair, and empathetic.

A person of character is, or tries hard to be, kind, patient, and humble.

A person of character is psychologically and emotionally stable.

A person of character has the ability to let go of resentment, to understand and manage emotions, to govern himself through reason.

Through thought, word, and deed, the character of this man has been revealed to us all: highlighted, self-reinforced, double-downed, acted out in court, on the stump, in social media, in private, everywhere, all at once, for decades.

We know who he is. And we know what he wants for our country, including mass deportations, a Muslim immigration ban, a “drill, baby, drill” energy policy, a crackdown on gender affirming care, the promotion of “patriotic education” in public schools, the dramatic expansion of executive power, an increase in the military’s role on domestic soil, the withdrawal of the US from NATO.

I don’t want any of that. Maybe some people do. But it is not about what he might or might not do if elected. It is about who he is.  Do ANY of us want a man at the helm of our country who has no moral compass?

We are the ones with the moral compass here. We are the grown-ups in the room.  The whole frayed patchwork quilt of us who make our lives here, we have to show what we’re made of.

We have to show ourselves as people of character.