Character is an important trait to have

Character counts.  Character matters.  Character is an important quality for leaders of anything. Our personal character traits are core  values upon which our thinking and actions are based.    

How important is personal character in the president of the United State of America and recognized leader of the free world?  Is the answer to that question not rather obvious? 

We presently have a presidential candidate in Donald Trump who’s character should definitely be publically called to question. What character values do I think should be evident in our nation’s leader? They are things like honesty, integrity, trustworthiness, courage, humility and mature and dependable  leadership. A dream? Perhaps, perhaps not.

When I was a kid back on our Wisconsin farm, in the summer we loved to lie out in our little ball field and gaze up at the constellations and the moon. It was totally  quiet and dark. We murmured to each other and dreamed our dreams.  Then one day I was an adult and a man  walked on the moon! Dreams do come true.

As Joy Reid said May 11 on  MSNBC:  “We don’t need to examine Trump.  We need to examine ourselves.  How could we even think of actually electing  this man [Trump] as our president?

Character does matter, and perhaps we each need to examine ourselves in this all important election year  and see what  traits are motivating our decisions. When leaders use fear-mongering tactics, people tend to crave and accept authoritarian rule and rally around  attack on others.  When leaders  sensibly and realistically advocate for  change, people tend to crave and accept logic and  positive action.   One leads to conflict and divisiveness. The other leads to cooperation and working together for the common good. 

The character of a nation is determined by the character of its people and its leaders. The choice is ours.   

-Bob McClellan

Polson