Many have commented about what I feel to be true; there should be genuine alarm about Donald Trump's discourse. Seemingly without thought, he puts entire ethnic groups at a disadvantage. He seemingly encourages physical violence. He exaggerates. He is full of bluster and bull. Yesterday's and today's headlines revolve about his own party's alarm and the subsequent effort to stop him.
We wonder why a large segment of the American public is taken with the man. We worry about the anger that is passed back and forth between candidate and public. How could this have happened?
It's actually very simple. Donald Trump is the spawn of the obstructionism, name calling and innuendo of the past two decades of political discourse. When politicians and yes, let's call it, FOX News. . . engaged in half truths and slander. . . part of their purpose was to generate an angry public. Their reasoning was that an angry public would result in votes and ratings. Now they wonder why one man is having such frightening success whipping people into a frenzy to support his nomination.
They had already laid the foundation for Trump's success. He is reaping what they sowed.
To step back and learn, these are the questions we must ask ourselves. Are we really honest in our communication? Are we fact based? Are we guilty of engaging in innuendo to sway our public? Are we fair? Are we selfish or are we striving for the greater good?
And even if we believe we are righteous in our cause, are we making a straightforward and fair case for our point of view?
To engage in name calling and obstruction may, yes, cause short-term harm to those we disagree with. Longer term, however, it comes back to bite us because, simply put, we have not lived worthy lives. And in turn, that endangers the America, the world and the organizations we hold dear.
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My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
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