Just a few days ago, my mother-in-law approached me after an afternoon with my son. “Did you catch what our President said?” she asked. I hadn’t, so she quickly pulled up a news clip on her phone. After watching, I felt a sense of indifference. Was his statement really any more shocking than the countless others he had made? As my husband and I prepared dinner and engaged with our boys about their day, the news felt distant, something to be ignored amid our routine.
Once the boys were asleep and the house was quiet, I sat down with my laptop to delve deeper into the coverage. A feeling began to stir within me, something I hadn’t encountered in quite some time. I lay in bed, unable to find rest, contemplating the President’s comments.
It wasn’t until the next morning that I could articulate my feelings: anger. My frustration stemmed largely from my own passivity. After a year filled with national and global chaos—tweets, headlines, and soundbites that evoked a range of emotions—I had become desensitized to the idea that the President of the United States, our representative to the world, had used such degrading language to describe an entire continent populated by millions who do not resemble him. I had brushed it aside, treating it as just another news item, as if everything were normal.
But wait—normal? This is not normal. When did I allow the extraordinary to become commonplace?
Days have passed since those words were reportedly spoken, and the incident has only intensified the political divide. Yet at its essence, this is not merely a political issue; it transcends partisanship. This is about our humanity and the fundamental respect we owe to one another.
In previous administrations, we looked to our leaders to reflect the values we hold dear as Americans. Today, however, we find ourselves justifying our President’s alarming rhetoric and behavior. As parents, we should feel deeply unsettled by this.
We need to ask ourselves tough questions: What harm arises from our complacency? Are we comfortable raising our children in an environment where the President disparages foreign nations and their citizens? How can we instill American ideals in our children when our leader does not exemplify them? What actions are we prepared to take as parents, individuals, and citizens to ensure this country nurtures kindness, safety, and respect for all—regardless of our origins, beliefs, or appearances?
I won’t pretend to have all the answers. Parenting is challenging enough, and I’m certainly not in a position to offer advice. But it’s clear that we stand at a crossroads. The future belongs to our children, and what we teach them will shape the nation and world they inherit. We can ignore the hatred that our President stirs to create fear, or we can rise against it, breaking free from our complacency and demonstrating through our words and actions that our values are rooted in liberty, justice, and tolerance—as enshrined in the Constitution. It falls to us to show our children what these principles truly mean.
In my elementary school, a print of Norman Rockwell’s famous Golden Rule hung in the hallway. I often wondered why the figures looked so serious, even though the words beneath the painting were simple. As I’ve matured, those words have gained significance: “DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU.”
What if our President, or our elected officials, embraced this Golden Rule? What might our nation look like if we all committed to living by it?
Indeed, this past year has been testing, yet I remain hopeful. We Americans are inherently optimistic, aspiring for better for ourselves and our children. We just need to acknowledge that we have the power to enact the changes we desire. After all, our children are watching.
In conclusion, the responsibility rests upon our shoulders to cultivate a future characterized by respect, empathy, and understanding. We can and must do better.
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