President Trump, that is not how you talk to kids.

 

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Washington DC 20500

3 August 2017

 Dear President Trump,

Recently I read the transcript of your talk with the Boy Scouts.  As a former boy scout myself, I was embarrassed by some of the things you said and wanted to ask you to be more careful in the future.

The Boy Scouts are an organization that, at its best, provides an opportunity for kids to get together, learn about camping and the outdoors, learn about other skills, tasks, and careers through the merit badge system, and gives kids an opportunity to learn how to serve their community (a service project is a big part of the requirements of becoming an eagle scout.)  While it would be valuable to share with them some insights about democracy and how they could make a difference for their country, a speech to the boy scouts should be about them, not about you.  Bragging about your election victory turns the focus away from the kids, which is the point. 

The story about William Leavitt might be a good one for the board room (though it seems in poor taste there too) but to tell a story that hints at debauchery on a yacht when talking to young impressionable kids would be a poor choice for anyone – but for the president of the United States it seems like a remarkably bad idea.  The president is a role model, like it or not, and idealizing behavior that is by your own admission at the time, not appropriate to tell the boy scouts is falling short of what you are supposed to be.

Finally, taunting former President Obama and encouraging boy scouts to boo him is despicable, no matter how you feel about his policies.  Throughout our country’s nearly 250 years of history there have been many presidents that have not gotten along, but because even the worst of them have had at least an ounce of class, once the election is over, they have not spoken ill publicly of their predecessors.  To do what you did revealed the depth of your lack of wisdom.  I suggest you apologize to the former president. 

You clearly are not cut out for this work.  I urge you to consider resigning.

 

Regards, 

 

Bill Boerman-Cornell