Perspectives: Sam’s Perspective – Disagreeing Decently

There has been a lot in the news lately about the President of the United States and a
professional football player’s action on the field during the National Anthem in which he
refused to stand at attention. He decided to use this time to draw attention to and to protest,
something he felt was wrong in America. His action drew a lot of attention and immediate
reaction on both sides. It also gave the President the opportunity to appeal to his base of
supporters, which is nothing new.
Presidents have been finding ways to appeal to their base since George Washington. But this
President did it by lowering the dignity of the office and using profanity to express displeasure
at the player and his actions. Some say, that triggered more reaction on both sides, than the
player’s protest did in the first place.
I heard the phrase “America, right or wrong” thrown around, which always reminds me of the
phrase “My mother, drunk or sober”. Both phrases indicate support while acknowledging
there’s room for improvement. It seems to me the leader of the free world could have found a
better way to express his displeasure with the professional football player’s action. Americans
expect and deserve that from the nation’s highest office. But this time, they didn’t get it.
In all the discourse I’ve heard since this episode took place, there’s been very little from the
folks that claim to support what they term ‘family values’. I wonder why? Could it be that
they’re too timid to point out to the man who was elected President of the United States that
the way he expressed his dissatisfaction was improper? Well let me offer a small, little talked
about point.
All across this country families are doing their best to provide for their children, to set examples
and help the little ones prepare to travel the road that leads to adulthood. Parenting is not
easy, it never has been. In fact, it’s one of the hardest jobs out there.
Some of the lessons adults try to pass along, deal with bullying, name calling, respect and just
plain common decency.
Children today face so much more than generations past, what with television, the internet,
and social media just to name a few distractions. And when they are exposed to profanities
with racial overtones coming from the West Wing, it has an impact. The message being, “Well
if he can say it, and he’s the President, then it must be O.K. for me to say it.”

And it makes the job of parenting that much more difficult. Best advise,… Well I’m not tying to
tell you how to raise your child but in this day and age I think you’ll have to agree strengthening
the bond you have with you children and setting the best possible example is the only course
of action. Answer their questions about this issue, and they will have them, answer them
honestly. And to let them know to that to disagree is normal and in most cases, healthy.
But name calling is not,… And it never will be. And that’s my perspective.