Act presidential

All of us have roles in our lives, maybe it’s a husband or wife, a parent, an employee of some sort, a Christian, etc. There are certain expectations and norms that our society and culture expect us to follow.

And all of us have at times fallen short and said or did something that by societal, cultural or legal standards was wrong. The largest majority of us acknowledges those errors in judgment or deed and strives to atone for them and not make the same mistake again. In other words, we are expected to “act in a certain way” that not only acknowledges a particular role, but genuinely respects that role and its expectations.

What about the parent who openly advocates his preadult children do drugs? That parent might have his children taken from him and placed in a safer environment. What about the employee who makes fun of a person with a disability or a person who stutters? That employee would likely be fired.

What about a former president who doesn’t act like one? One who uses language that is not becoming to the office, verbally assaults judges and prosecutors (and their families), doesn’t accept court decisions, continually spews lies about election results, is found liable for fraud and sexual abuse, openly states if given the chance that he would abuse the power of the presidency — and the list could go on and on.

It is simple — there has never been a president in our nation’s long history who has acted like former President Donald Trump — never. A president should act like a president.

— Maury Neville, Chesapeake