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Online Community & Resource for Active Silver Surfers

The Silver Life

Online Community & Resource for Active Silver Surfers

You can’t make this stuff up

Trump - the government we deserveIs it all Trump's fault?
Can it get any worse?

But apparently our President can and does…

My wife works in a field in which she deals with employees and their problems on a daily basis.  With just over 2000 employees where she works, you can probably imagine that folks come up with some pretty clever ways to amaze us.  We have developed an almost daily category of “you can’t make this stuff up” when she tells me of her latest challenges and confrontations. 

I have tried to stop writing about our President in part because if one wants to lampoon him, he provides a target rich environment and it doesn’t seem particularly sporting to point out his latest gaffes, misspeaks, contradictions of his staff and/or family, or his redundant beating of the same drum.  But I daily think to myself “you can’t make this up”.

But, this past weekend has been for me a new low for even him.  The latest foray into self-aggrandizement and an ego run wild is when we saw an African American athlete (Lebron James) endow a school in his home town with, as I understand it:

  • Free tuition.
  • Free uniforms.
  • Free breakfast, lunch and snacks.
  • Free transportation within 2 miles.
  • A free bicycle and helmet.
  • Access to a food pantry for their family.
  • Guaranteed tuition for all graduates to the University of Akron.

What’s more, parents of students will receive access to job placement services and help acquiring their GEDs.

What a change in the future prospects this could be for these children. It seems to me that this should be a cause of celebration and affirmation.  Perhaps a few words of praise from our President could encourage others to emulate such a community service.  Surely this could be a facet of the agenda to “Make America Great Again”.  I am puzzled at what the downside of such a gesture could be.

To quote the late Jim Belushi on Saturday live; “But no!!” Mr. Trump was compelled to   respond to this potentially life-changing gesture with a slur about the intelligence of Mr. James and the sportscaster who interviewed him.  Now I have no idea about the IQ of either man, but I wonder if President Trump couldn’t, for one brief, shining moment, have put aside his own self-centered egoist agenda and congratulated the school and Mr. James and wished them well?

I was silent some time ago when Mr. Trump was honoring the last of the World War Two Windtalkers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_talker ) some months ago and during the ceremony he just couldn’t resist making the ceremony for these brave heroes about himself and his fight with a senator. Sure, I understand that Mr. James has spoken out against the President and his policies. But aren’t we allowed to have the same freedom of speech that allows us to differ with each other?  Or are attacks on people only to be made by the President?

With this gigantic ego on daily display, I wonder if Republicans running for office this fall are confident the President will use an in person endorsement to talk about them, or will the rally turn into a “look at me and my many achievements, in spite of all my enemies that hate me”? Sure, he has enemies, if I remember correctly so did Mr. Obama before him.  In fact, I think I remember one of those outspoken critics to be Donald Trump. 

Come on Mr. President, just try giving your ego a rest once and a while and find something to praise now and again. We would enjoy the contrast.

By Published On: August 15, 2018Categories: Politics0 Comments on You can’t make this stuff upTags:

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About the Author: Dennis F.

Dennis has lived or traveled in Australia, the United States and Asia. He is an Army veteran with a PhD in Child and Developmental Psychology. He currently lives in the mountains of Western North Carolina, USA, with his wife Nancy and two dogs. Dennis is keenly interested in antiques, particularly militaria and coins. He occupies his time researching and writing for The Silver Life and caretaking houses for the summer residents of the mountains. Dennis is a founding member of The Silver Life.

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