When I was growing up, I heard a lot of presidential quotes. My dad, a history buff in the highest degree, used to quote this president or that whenever trying to instill some desirable trait or quality in my brothers and I. As such, I learned to respect and admire the people who had taken it upon themselves to lead our nation. These men were honest, wise and intelligent. They spoke their views and defended their values with an eloquence that I could only aspire to.
And it made an impact on me; those words inspired me.
While the lectures on morality, confidence and every other positive quality were tedious to my juvenile self (as a kid I would have much rather been running around doing something destructive), they stuck with me. It made me realize that not only are our presidents leaders of the nation for the four to eight years they serve, but they are also the people we look up to for standards of behavior, for wisdom and for the direction our nation will move in.
Along this same line, a number of very concerning things have been happening in the presidential race today. I see candidates, and one in particular, spewing hatred and bigotry to the public. Words can be an insidious poison, they sit heavy in people’s minds once heard and spread, shading all other thoughts and opinions. The ramifications of such negativity being publicly shared and broadcasted by someone who has the potential to be a leader of our nation is frightening.
Donald Trump is one such candidate. I have been shocked and many times disgusted by the statements this presidential contender has made. He seems to make a point to be crude and insensitive. I make a sincere effort not to judge people when their political views are contrary to mine, and thus have been curious as to why people support Trump. Many times the answer is his “honesty.” While I understand their point of view, as politics has become a corrupt and two-faced business, with career politicians doing and saying anything just to stay in office, I must object.
Donald Trump is not an honest man. Donald Trump is a businessman. He capitalizes on people’s fears and misgivings and fuels the fire, inciting violence and hatred towards people of differing races, genders and ideals and using it for his own gain.
Returning to my main point, however, when a president (or in this case a presidential candidate) speaks, the public listens. And they continue to listen down the line. In light of this I thought I would juxtapose some quotes from past United States Presidents, on varying subjects, to quotes from the Donald himself. A man’s character is revealed by his words, and Mr. Trump’s words paint a very dark picture.
- George Washington – 1st President of the United States
“Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all.”
Trump: “I will build a great wall – and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me – and I’ll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words.”
- Abraham Lincoln – 16th President of the United States
“I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends.”
Trump: “When someone crosses you, my advice is ‘Get Even!’ That is not typical advice, but it is real life advice. If you do not get even, you are just a schmuck! When people wrong you, go after those people because it is a good feeling and because other people will see you doing it. I love getting even. I get screwed all the time. I go after people, and you know what? People do not play around with me as much as they do with others. They know that if they do, they are in for a big fight”
- Theodore Roosevelt – 26th President of the United States
“Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
Trump: “My IQ is one of the highest — and you all know it! Please don’t feel so stupid or insecure; it’s not your fault.”
- Ronald Reagan – 40th President of the United States
“We are forever indebted to those who have given their lives that we might be free.”
Trump: “He’s not a war hero. He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.” (In reference to former prisoner of war John McCain, held prisoner in Vietnam for more than five years)
- Franklin D. Roosevelt – 32nd President of the United States
“A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.”
Trump: “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.”
- Eleanor Roosevelt – First Lady of the United States
“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people”
Trump: “If I were running The View I’d fire Rosie (O’Donnell). I mean, I’d look her right in that fat, ugly face of hers, I’d say, ‘Rosie, you’re fired.”
“Arianna Huffington is unattractive both inside and out. I fully understand why her former husband left her for a man – he made a good decision.”
“Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president? I mean, she’s a woman, and I’m not supposed to say bad things, but really, folks, come on. Are we serious?” (In reference to Carly Fiorina, former presidential candidate)
- Jimmy Carter – 39th President of the United States
“We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.”
Trump: “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending the best. They’re not sending you, they’re sending people that have lots of problems and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. … And some, I assume, are good people.”
- John F. Kennedy – 35th President of the United States
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”
Trump: “The other thing with the terrorists is you have to take out their families, when you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families. They care about their lives, don’t kid yourself. When they say they don’t care about their lives, you have to take out their families”
- Harry S. Truman – 33rd President of the United States
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”
Trump: “People love me. And you know what, I have been very successful. Everybody loves me.”
- Emma Lazarus, quoted on the Statue of Liberty
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”
Trump: “Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.”
Emily in Earnest Blog 