It’s interesting, and somewhat sad, that adults don’t often practice what they preach to their children. Take bullying, for example.

Most upstanding citizens tell their children at a young age not to pick on other children. At least that was the norm for my generation. It might also be that some folks taught their children to stand up for themselves, explaining that if they’re pushed they should push back. Unless that advice is framed in the context of learning the give-and-take of living with others cooperatively, then in effect, children are being encouraged to become bullies. More effective than lecturing, however, is the example set by adults. No matter what we tell youngsters, if they see that we’re enamored of a bully then that’s as good as gold.

Another truism often repeated to children is “the end doesn’t justify the means.” Again, it may be that some folks qualified it with “depending on the situation.” Ensuring one’s own survival at the expense of someone else’s, might seemingly qualify for that exemption. Perhaps more to the point, children are being told that in the end, survival at all costs is what really matters.

Lost in the cacophony of ugly rhetoric emerging on a daily basis from one of the candidates for president of the United States is America’s moral compass.

“Love thy neighbor as you love thy self.”

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” “He’s my brother, he ain’t heavy.”

Perhaps these truisms are obsolete and no longer offered to youngsters as applicable values for contemporary life. If this is the case, then it’s unfortunate. At the cost of losing what made America great in the first place, the principles upon which our country was founded, a bully might just successfully slug his way into the Oval Office.

The man who said, “I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters,” could one day rule our country with absolute power. On his personal recommendation of “believe me,” he is being handed the most powerful job in the world. Unlike candidates applying for any other job, he is not being asked to submit tangible proof of his qualifications — high school and college transcripts, for instance — and for job of president, tax records, for the sake of transparency. Is he, or isn’t he, “in bed” with the Russians?

Just because he says it’s so doesn’t make it so. So I can only conclude that he is perceived as the Messiah coming to deliver America from evil. And then I wonder, who will come and deliver us from him? The presidential candidate who said, “I love the old days. You know what they use to do to guys like that when they were in a place like this? They use to carry them out on a stretcher … I’d like to punch him in the face.”

Someone our children will emulate. Donald Trump.

Millie Vierra lives in Issaquah.