Not long ago, my mother-in-law approached me after spending 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 indifferent. Hadn’t we grown accustomed to his barrage of shocking comments? My husband and I went about our evening routine—preparing dinner, engaging with our kids about their day, cleaning up, and settling them down for bed—without a thought about the latest headline.
But later that night, with the house finally quiet, I found myself engrossed in articles about the President’s remarks. A feeling began to stir within me, one I hadn’t experienced in quite some time. Lying awake in bed, I realized that what I felt was deep anger. This rage stemmed from many sources, but primarily from my own complacency. After a year filled with national and global unrest, I had become desensitized to the idea that the President of the United States—the individual who represents our nation to the world—had used crude language to describe an entire continent full of diverse individuals. I had allowed what should be considered outrageous to slip into my daily routine as if it were ordinary.
But why had I accepted such abnormal behavior as normal? The incident has sparked intense politicization, yet fundamentally, it’s not about politics or partisanship. It’s about humanity and the fundamental respect we owe one another.
In previous administrations, we’ve looked to our leaders to reflect the American values we cherish. Now, we seem to seek justifications for our President’s troubling actions and words, and as parents, we should feel deeply disturbed by this.
We must confront challenging questions: What harm arises from our complacency? Do we want our children to grow up in a nation where the President speaks negatively about other countries and their people? How can we instill American values in our children when our leader fails to uphold them? What actions are we ready to take as parents, as individuals, and as Americans to foster a kinder and more respectful environment for everyone, regardless of background, love, faith, or appearance?
Honestly, I don’t have all the answers. Parenting is already a formidable task, and I don’t claim to have the expertise to provide solutions. What I do know is that we stand at a crossroads. The future rests in our hands—what we teach our children will shape the nation and world they inherit. We can choose to ignore the hatred our President perpetuates to incite fear, or we can rise against it, moving beyond complacency to show through our words and actions that our values are grounded in liberty, justice, and tolerance, principles enshrined in the United States Constitution. It is our duty to illustrate what these values mean to our children.
I remember a print of Norman Rockwell’s famous Golden Rule that hung in my elementary school hallway. I often wondered why the faces in the artwork looked so serious, even though the message was straightforward. As I’ve matured, the weight of those words has grown clearer: “DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU.”
Imagine the impact if our President and politicians embraced the Golden Rule. What if we all made a conscious effort to live by it?
While the past year has been undeniably challenging, I maintain a sense of hope. As Americans, we are inherently optimistic and yearn for better outcomes for ourselves and our children. We must recognize that we have the power to drive the changes we wish to see. After all, our children are watching us closely.
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Summary: In light of the President’s controversial remarks, parents are called to reflect on their values and the lessons they impart to their children. We must confront the complacency that allows such rhetoric to persist and strive to embody the principles of respect and kindness that we wish to see in the world.