Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States well known for being the president who achieved the end of slavery. Known for his loneliness and melancholia, was known to utter profanities and tell off-color stories and jokes…while in the White House. He was known to have said profane insults considering others. President Lincoln is one of the presidents that is most admired. He had used rude and crude phrases while in office. He, not infrequently, spoke unkindly about his political opponents. He got rid of slavery. What he accomplished was of more importance than his language.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th president of the United States. He is still a beloved and respected president of the United States. During WWII he was a well-known, appreciated and loved five star general and was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe. As president he signed the 1957 Civil rights Act of 1957 into law and then sent Army troops to enforce that law. He promoted a strong science education program. He undertook supported and pushed the Interstate Highway System that we know enjoy. He balanced the budget three times. He ended the Korean War. He kept America out of wars. Yet, he was known for his prolific use of “light” vulgarity, but did censure those who used strong profanity. He spoke strongly for right cause. Though a former aide of his said of him “Ike could launch a more impressive verbal broadside using ‘Hell’s Fire,’ than most men could using a string using as string of dark blue, four letter words.” In spite of this, for the most part, he is and endeared and respect former presidents, known more for his accomplishments than sometimes aggressive speech.
John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States. President Kennedy was beloved by a large bi-partisan majority of our country, and still is. Actually, many were enthralled by him and his family. Yet, though an eloquent man, he used profanity to describe the Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker. He also is quoted, in regards to what political opponents would say about a decision to provide a place to accommodate his pregnant wife, as saying of the action “This is obviously a f***-up.” He had several major accomplishments. One of them was his skillful handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis in which he stared down the USSR and avoided nuclear war. He was in the Navy and was awarded a Medal for heroism during WWII. He earned and won a Pulitzer Prize. He led the U.S. economy out of a recession. He had many other accomplishments. And yet again, while he was in office as President of the United States he shared a lover with his brother (then the residing U.S. Attorney General) when he committed adultery with Marilyn Monroe. The U.S. largely overlooked his language and sin issues and praised him for the great job he did for the U.S.
All those who are upset with President Trump’s “unkind” and “aggressive” remarks and tweets, I wonder if you would disqualify these presidents because of their language? Or do you disregard their comments in light of their accomplishments. If you will continue to hold up these past presidents as great presidents but will chide President Trump for his gruff and aggressive tweets, then you lose your credibility as your righteous condemnation of him loses its power and falls unto the ground. To say that one would vote for Biden instead of Trump because of rude or aggressive language is excusing his language, and his insults and aggressiveness toward U.S. citizens (for questioning him during times allowing questions), all not only done in the past, but recently. To believe that Joe Biden is more polite, or more kind, than President Trump, is just an ignorance of the facts. Have I winced at times at what President Trump has said? Yes. Have I thought “Oh, that could have been better said.” Yes. But do I discount his many accomplishments, do I cast them aside, because of the way he has, at times, spoken? No. Just as I do not discount what past Presidents Lincoln, Eisenhower and Kennedy accomplished because of their sometimes inappropriate language. As far as his example to children, well, everyone, that is your job as parents and grandparents to teach them right and wrong. So please, you may not like how he sometimes speak, but if you then excuse Joe Biden for how he has spoken and acted during 47 years of public office, well, then it could be rightly said that such a person lacks the strength of their convictions. So please spare me your so called righteous indignation if not uniformly applied because your convictions fall dying and writhing on the floor.
This has in its title “Part 1” because I am thinking of continuing on showing the unfortunate language of past presidents, some would be quite shocking to many.
by Bob with