Respect : It's Not Just Politics

Full disclaimer: I'm not a fan of the 45th President of the United States. And it has nothing to do with his politics. In fact, if you check the voter registration rolls, I am a registered Republican (*partly because of I was young and confused and partly because I'm old and lazy). The thing is, we can debate politics all day long. Throughout American history, there are issues that many famous Americans, great leaders, have had political debates on. From the wording of the Declaration of Independence to the current quagmire in Washington, DC, there are tons of topics of which there can be a healthy debate. My humanity isn't one of them.

This current President once took out an entire page ad in the New York Times demanding that the young men known as the Central Park 5 be prosecuted and put to death. Since then, every one has been exonerated and still the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue stands by what he said nearly 30 years ago. When you wonder why some people say "he's not my President," that's the starting point.

With the Virginia Men's Basketball team being the latest championship winning team to decline an invitation to the White House, a customary event for a generation, a familiar refrain has been invoked: "Respect the Office of the President, if not the occupant." And that's the issue. How can you respect the office when the person in it doesn't respect it? His language is coarse, his words to and of his rivals are demeaning. He has grade school level nicknames for his congressional foes. His relationship with the truth is dubious at best and while it's said that all politicians lie, has anyone been this committed to various, easily disproven facts?

I'm an American. I will always respect the Office of the President of the United States. All I ask is that the person that is in that office do the same. For those that demand respect, where were you when the current POTUS was peddling the false, conspiracy-riddled birth nonsense? Shouldn't the 44th President get just as much respect as the 45th? Where's that respect when the current POTUS tweets childish names at sitting members of Congress? Do they not engender respect? What about the US Citizens this POTUS has labeled as sons of bitches because they expressed their first amendment right to protest? No respect for them?

I've never been invited to the White House for anything and, most likely, never will. It's always an honor to be extended an invitation to the people's house by a sitting President. If offered by the current occupant, I'd politely decline. I was raised by my parents that to get respect, you give respect. And I don't respect someone that lies so brazenly and boldly, that gives comfort to white nationalists, that name calls other elected officials, that only praises those that praise him and went out of his way to disrespect the previous POTUS. Respect is earned, not given.