While it is true that President Trump can inspire with his words, he can also create division and rancor. Obviously his choice of words about individuals coming to U.S. shores from s*** hole countries is a prime example of divisive rhetoric. Our country is in a “transformative stage,” wherein an oversensitivity towards how words are used is quite pronounced. Still, the president wields tremendous power in what he says, how he says it, and what he does.

So rather than make the statement that the president did – if he truly said what is being reported – could he not have been more selective with his words? I do agree with the sentiment of the president’s statement, I just wish he had expressed it in more general terms. I would have preferred the president to have left out the expletive in his description. In our overly sensitized society, just the implication that a person is berating an individual, is grounds to be called racist, homophobic, xenophobic, ad nauseam. The president was expressing frustration that individuals from third-world countries, with limited to no skills, are migrating, both legally and illegally, into our country. The president did not name any specific countries with his vulgar statement. Back in 2017, he did reference some African and Latin American countries, from which persons were leaving to come to the U.S. Critics of the president, simply plugged in the previously-mentioned geographic locations which the president had used, and voila, the president was pegged with being racist toward those people.

The president wants to admit legal immigrants to the U.S. based on merit – their education and skill level. Seems like sound policy to me. Others believe that we must open our borders to all who want to come here. That is a policy that will contribute to our continued decline here in the U.S. As economist Milton Freedman once said (paraphrased), ‘you can have open borders, and you can have a welfare state, but you can’t have them both.’ Mr. Freedman well knew that if a country does not control immigration, and doles out welfare payments to anybody who arrives in the country, it’s a formula for disaster. While the president is steadily slowing the flow of illegal aliens into the U.S., too many illegals are still here taking advantage of our lax welfare distribution policies.

Tone down your words, please Mr. President, and keep up your efforts to reform Washington. The president’s words are only giving his critics fodder for continued criticism. A softer, gentler president – at least in what he says and tweets – is a good way to “Trump” all the chatter from the critics. Throw in the great policies that the president is implementing, and more and more people will come under the broad tent of the “Trump Camp.” If that happens, the U.S. will have seven more years of Donald Trump in the White House. Here’s hoping that the president follow the sage advice of President Theodore Roosevelt back in 1900: “speak softly, and carry a big stick, and you will go far.”

- Written by Mark Pope

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