When I was a child we learned about our greatest presidents. Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln. Great men all. As I grew older, I learned about their flaws, their mistakes. in spite of all these flaws, we still admire and celebrate these great men who made America the strongest country in history. 

It was not only men who made this country great. It was also women, minorities and immigrants who contributed to America’s growth. Dolly Madison, Clara Barton, George Washington Carver and many others contributed to the greatness of America.

In spite of all their flaws, these people added to the greatness of America. We continue to this day to celebrate them by recognizing their birthdays, and holidays.

I and many of us as children were taught to think of them as role models. We learned the stories and legends of some of these people, the writer of the Declaration of Independence, the cherry tree, being born in log cabins. Their mistakes and failures. Yet in spite of everything, they became great.

Yes, we children saw them as great heroes, presidents, statesmen, someone we could admire and hope to achieve our own greatness someday. A president especially the early ones were people to be revered, copied and imitated. We knew that we may not always agree with a particular person’s policies, but just as they respected the Office of the Presidency we respected their place in history. 

When schoolchildren today ask about president Trump, what are we to say? As teachers, parents, grandparents and adults in our children’s lives, what can we say about Trump, our recent nominee for President? What kind of role model for children is Trump? 

Would you want your child to see Trump as a role model? Would you want your child to admire a serial adulterer, a liar, a deadbeat, a traitor or to live a life like his? Would you want your child to act like Trump? To become Trump? To be so driven by the need for money that he destroys the very meaning of being a human. Do you know any parent or grandparent who wants their children to emulate Trump?

To paraphrase Matin Luther King: I have a dream that someday men will be evaluated by the content of their character rather than the contents of their wallets.