Gives respect

As the old saying goes, in order to get respect, you have to give it. To respect the office of the president is one thing. To respect the person is another.

Can anyone respect a person who respects only those who agree with him? Can anyone respect a person who disrespects others in such childish ways that demean the office of the president? Can anyone respect someone who thinks his popularity is more important than the enormous task of running the most powerful country on Earth? There is only one person President Donald J. Trump respects, and that is Donald J. Trump.

Many Americans want the president to be the aggressive, in-your-face bully who tells the rest of the world what to do. The rest of us want our president to be the statesman who gets things done through intelligence, diplomacy, compassion, empathy, strong leadership and by honoring the Constitution, which calls for a three-branch system of checks and balances.

This is not an autocracy, and the American people need to ensure that is not what’s happening here.

This story was originally published February 3, 2017 at 4:48 PM with the headline "Gives respect."