The concerned and responsible parent enjoys the vitally important responsibility of transmitting the basics of acceptable, societal and moral, standards of belief and behavior to the child. This is done by instruction and, very importantly, by the parent’s own right action. As the child matures in age and practical experience, the job becomes somewhat more complicated; the inexperienced, trusting child ordinarily, sees those early moral lessons in “black and white” mandates; accordingly, all compromise, however minor and appropriate, is perceived as inconsistent betrayal. The positive value of appropriate compromise, often necessary, as a practical matter, to accomplish just ends is learned later in the child’s life, from personal experience. Proper parental teaching is, of necessity, in step with the ambient communal and societal standards; and the observant child is thereafter welcomed into society as a new and respected member.
We take little pleasure in the the success of our prognostication to the effect that the possible elevation of Donald Trump to the office of President (and his inevitable installation of a coterie of his disreputable enablers and opportunistic sycophants), would predictably plunge our nation into the depths of a 21st Century reprise of the horrific Dark Ages, of medieval Europe several centuries ago This fearfully anticipated “Mad Hatter” administration, encompassing dysfunctional players chosen by our new egoistic, incapable and ignorant chief of State, lost no time in initiating actions, directly and purposefully to sabotage our useful governmental agencies and structures. These entities had been wisely put in place to provide constant, watchful superintendence of the proper operation of our democratic republic, and as well, to delimit excesses of avaricious and irresponsible business practices, detrimental to the public .Rather than empathy and concern for the poor and the disadvantaged, the Trump administration has demonstrated as little awareness and concern as the ignorant and arrogant Queen Antoinette, in medieval times, whose voiced solution to the starving French citizen’s cry for bread, famously, was her repulsive remark, “Let them eat cake.”
Medieval xenophobia, rather than modern day diplomacy in international relations, has been resurrected as the American policy “du jour.” The building of protective walls and a policy of exclusion of the foreigner, is a regular (medieval) main course on the Trump daily dark ages menu. Also consistent with the medieval period, top military leaders have been appointed to intimate positions in the royal council, vast inventories of weapons and bombs are stocked, ready to go, together with a huge standing military, both sufficient to assuage any paranoid’s psychotic’s worst fear of foreigners. It appears that, in many cases, even local police have felt emboldened by this new, atavistic atmosphere, to brutally and illegally operate with impunity; a blind eye policy is employed, regarding the all too frequent episodic misbehavior of these uniformed extensions of governmental authority. Large standing armies were the typical stratagem of the medieval rulers, including those legendary crusaders who pillaged and raped their way across continents.
Our present Autocrat, together with his Royal Family and Court, have been publicly and illegally enriching themselves, with confident impunity, at the cost of the American citizen; such behavior is committed in intentional disrespect of our laws, including our historically established ethical and legal rules, concerning conflicts of interest, and, in the case of the President, in full breach of the Constitution’s emolument clause.
The pursuit of knowledge, all learning and Intellectual pursuits, literary and scientific, have been disparaged and defunded; disrespect for the truth, has been rampant and the responsible [and citizen protective] media has been viciously attacked. Science, responsible for the survival and advancement of mankind, has been totally disrespected, especially climate science. Bigotry has been irresponsibly tolerated, the recognition of women’s natural and legal right to own their own bodies, has been dealt set- backs and the national duty of protecting citizens’ legal and human rights has been relegated to the back seat in the now proverbial bus. This is comparable with the medieval practice of enrichment of the royal retinue, at the expense of the citizens of the realm, and in the current metaphor, most especially, the rewards to the campaign donors whose substantial donations, while made in their own selfish business interests, [usually irrespective of damage to the planet and the citizen] financed Trump’s electoral win.
Our daunting challenge consists in contemplation of how to properly and effectively counsel our young children in ethical behavior, in view of the pervasive, shameful and immoral atmosphere which now pervades our government. Each of us has his applicable style of rendering advice, so our proposals for such instruction, are stated in principles, only, and offered in random order:
- The present administration is a rare aberration, our Presidents have, as a rule, been dedicated to, and believers in right principle. They may want to remember President Obama.
- The trust required in relationships, of every kind, social as familial, friendship, teammate, romantic partner and neighbor, depends upon consistency of truth and honesty; people who are mendacious will never be trusted in any relationship.
- One’s own consistent identity and positive (internal) self- image, is maintained by right thinking and practiced morality,
- Empathy, and consideration for others, makes for self- respect and acknowledged maturity,
- The attainment of success and self-fulfillment depend upon your candid evaluation of yourself,
- Self-fulfillment and self enhancement are the rational measure of true success, and,
- Act in a way that you and your future children would approve.
We can endure whatever disappointments, unfair outcomes and distasteful events dealt to us by life, provided that a we have a good self-image, are possessed of appropriate wisdom, and maintain good communication with those who are close to us; but most especially, with ourselves.
-p.
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