President Trump lacks “sense of decency?”

This isn’t complicated. It’s simply about human values and decency.

John McCain, war hero and United States senator, received the Liberty Medal this week.

In his speech he warned the United States against turning toward “half-baked, spurious nationalism cooked up by people who would rather find scapegoats.”

The very next day Donald Trump acknowledges on television that he heard the criticism, warning: “People have to be careful because at some point I fight back. I’m being very nice. I’m being very, very nice. But at some point I fight back and it won’t be pretty.”

So here’s McCain, imprisoned and tortured for five years in a hellhole of a North Vietnamese prison, who defines courage for the rest of us (and is now waging another grim struggle).

His antagonist received five deferments, and never served.

When I was 12 years old, in 1954, at Sandy Creek Central School, teachers in that civically engaged era had us watch the Army-McCarthy hearings in the classroom.

The antagonist here was Senator Joseph McCarthy, who had repeatedly impugned the loyalty of military people and so many other Americans.

It was a terribly hateful, destructive time in our country, and people were cowed for a long time (including the fully decent President Dwight Eisenhower).

The memorable moment in those hearings came when Joseph Welch, chief counsel for the Army, finally said: “Senator, you’ve done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir?”

I would ask President Trump the same question.

All Americans need to want the President to succeed, but that can only be done if he brings us together, not drive us apart.

He is not bringing us together.

We all need to speak up.

This story was originally published October 18, 2017 at 8:06 PM with the headline "President Trump lacks “sense of decency?”."