TIM MANNELLO

Williamsport

Alexander Pope may have written it in the 18th century, but this quote of his is a most apt description of our current political state:

“Vice is a monster of so frightful mien

As to be hated needs but to be seen;

Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,

We first endure, then pity, then embrace.”

There was a time, not so long ago, when we were repulsed by sexual assault, by degradation of military heroes who suffered and died to keep us free, by swastikas, white hoods, chants of “Jews will not replace us,” and by Nazi slogans of “Blood and soil,” by acts of subservient obsequiousness like Chamberlain’s appeasement of Hitler in ceding the northern, southern, and western areas of former Czechoslovakia to Germany, by disloyalty to one’s most faithful supporters, by political pandering to people’s worst instincts, by using public office to bilk others for private gain, by failing to respond to a cyber-attack by a nation adversary, and by deepening an already existing divide instead of uniting the country.

And then there was Donald J. Trump who bragged about greeting women by grabbing their private parts; insulted John McCain for being a prisoner of war for seven years and then again while under treatment for cancer and insulted a Gold Star family; by calling those who marched with neo-Nazis, anti-Semites, and members of the Ku Klux Klan in Charlottesville “fine people;” said that Vladimir Putin, who annexed Crimea and invaded Ukraine, is “doing a great job and is better than (George W.) Bush;” publicly humiliating close allies like Attorney General Jeff Sessions; exploiting his presidential legal immunity from conflict of interest by a host of shameless, unethical business moves that would get any other public official indicted; attacking virtually everyone … friend or foe, including members of his party or of the opposition party, our allies and our enemies (except Russia), and the media (except Hannity, FOX and Friends, and others who repeat their fawning brown-nosing).

We have become so used to his immoral behavior, it no longer seems evil to us. So, we endure the travesty of his presidency, even if we are among those who privately think it pathetic but won’t admit it openly. Soon, beleaguered and exhausted by his relentless shamelessness, we will be beaten down into a surrendering embrace. The most we can do is to draw false equivalencies between the unethical behavior of Donald Trump and other politicians.

Yes, cartoon character Pogo was right when he wisely opined, “We have met the enemy, and they is us.” We have abandoned reality for reality TV. It appears we love the show being put on by our impresario President, whom George Will calls “a bull who carries his china shop around with him.” President Trump has changed the presidency for the worse. Even more regrettably, he has changed us all for the worse.