On this day of celebration from sea to shining sea, I am thinking about some of the phrases and anecdotes that we associate with past presidents. George Washington could not tell a lie. Abraham Lincoln asked us to be better angels. FDR said that the only thing we had to fear was fear itself. Harry Truman said that “the buck stops here” and if you couldn’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. JFK asked not what the country could do for us but what we could do for our country. George W. Bush espoused “compassionate conservatism.” Bill Clinton tried to build a bridge to the 21st century.

Contrast each of those sentiments or statements with the actions and statements of the current resident of the White House. Truth? Unimportant, and in fact fake. Better angels? Are you kidding? Fear? It’s those immigrants. Buck stopping? Not on his desk. Making America great? More important to promote DJT. Compassion – really? Reaching backward toward the standards of the 18th and 19th centuries.  

We are isolating ourselves with unnecessary trade wars and abuse of NATO and NAFTA. We are letting other nations try to save the planet while allowing more pollution here at home. Obamacare is being chipped away, and no better replacement is in sight. Instead of presidential eloquence, we have tweets.

FDR gave us the New Deal. I think the guy who wrote “The Art of the Deal” is giving us a raw deal.

Edward Walworth, Lewiston