Keep It Civil, Don’t Give in to the Tomfoolery of the 45th

President Barack Obama’s farewell address was filled with grace, dignity, and hope. The man is leaving office the same way he came in — saying “Yes we can” to cheers and tears. And let the record show that upon running down some of his accomplishments during his address, President Obama gave citizens the credit by saying, “…That’s what we did. That’s what you did. You were the change.” Upon the mention of the presidential transition, jeers started, but the ever-civil President Obama quickly quieted the crowd.

And then there’s the tomfoolery of the 45th.

A joker with the temperament of an entitled college student is entering the White House. This is the guy who proclaimed at the Republican National Convention, “I am your voice. I alone can fix it. I will restore law and order.” This is the one who may not have mocked a disabled reporter according to his supporters, but Donald Trump’s histrionics were still nothing short of juvenile for a man vying for a seat of honor and integrity. The 45th actively encouraged violence at his rallies while inspiring middle fingers, foul language, Nazi salutes, and even a profanity-laden outburst on a plane after his victory. Let’s see, what else? Oh, he bragged that he could “shoot somebody” and “not lose any voters” during his campaign — not civil.

I find it hilarious that some of his supporters are feeling a bit, shall we say, bamboozled. What did you expect? The 45th is who he is and who he has always been — a showman. Having worked for severely narcissistic men like “The Donald,” I can tell you that his campaign had nothing to do with his supporters and everything to do with him. As a result of his toxic tomfoolery, we have a problem with troublemakers who are emboldened by the 45th’s rhetoric, even white supremacists who have come together like Voltron (with apologies to Voltron). If you’re one who voted for Trump despite his antics and you believe he will act right once he assumes the presidency, I quote Professor Allan Lichtman, “What you see is what you get. Candidates don’t change. It’s like when you marry someone, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to change them!’ — never works.”

Before a minion of the 45th starts with the predictable “liberal” insults, read this next part slowly. This is about ethical, civil leadership not ideology. In the words of Jesse Ventura,

“The reason I’m not a Democrat or Republican, or a leftist or rightist, or any other kind of ‘ist’ is because I believe that every issue needs to be considered on its own merit, not glossed over with some kind of prefab rhetoric.”

Any halfway educated, ethical professional will tell you that 45’s antics may be good for hostile corporate takeovers but they are horrible for serving people even his most faithful supporters. No mature, intelligent, rational person wants to follow a grown man who tweets like a temperamental teenager running for homecoming king (even if his tweets are a diversionary tactic).

So, what now?

Decent Americans are wondering why they should work so hard to be civil. Tossing dignity aside, my friends, isn’t the answer. In the spirit of the first Martin Luther King, Jr. Day we just celebrated going into the tense season of Trump, I encourage reasonable people — regardless of political views — to come together. We must set examples for bright-eyed, bushy-tailed kids and young adults, especially college students and young professionals. They need us to set examples of how a civil society operates. We can disagree about ideology and policy all day and all night, but what truly makes America great is civil discourse designed to uplift communities.

Call this a contradiction but let’s fight for civility. That is to say, let’s invest deeply in our emotional intelligence and support leaders who reflect truly ethical values. Bullies won this election and I know, from experience, that the best way to deal with a bully is to stand your ground. Good people deserve the rewards of living in a diverse, loving community. There are young ethical leaders who are dying for great examples so let’s save them. We have neighbors hungry for civility, so let’s feed them.