MY TURN: Trump missing family values

I loved and respected my father. He taught me much. He gave me his sense of humor, his photographic eye and his deep love for family, friends and our community. More importantly, he instilled in me the value of the character of a man and what attributes are required in a person you could proudly respect, and hopefully be.

At the top are honesty, integrity, credibility and ethics. Without those traits, everything else is suspect.

Through the many respected business and civic leaders my father associated with, I grew to admire their characteristics: civility, loyalty, humility, gratitude, compassion, encouragement, humor and empathy. 

These are my family values. They are my children’s values. I live by them and I expect others to live by them. Anything less is a disappointment.

And that’s why I cannot vote for Donald Trump. I will not flush my values down the toilet for a person who has not one of the positive attributes I require in an honorable person — yet has all the attributes I despise.

Take away the name, the money, the hair, the notoriety; strip him down to just the man. Just a regular person like you and me. But still with all the same personality traits. Would you want him as your next-door neighbor? Your business partner? Your son-in-law? Would you play golf with him for money?

But you’re good with him as a president of the United States? Doesn’t honesty and integrity mean anything anymore? Apparently not in politics. And both parties are rife with it. As is America because of it. And it erodes this nation. 

And for all you KCRCC Trumpees, surprise! I’ve probably been a registered Idaho Republican longer than you. From back when the GOP was respectable. Before the ilk of Brent Regan and his cronies drug their bag of bullchips to town. 

My self-respect is at stake. My father would be ashamed of me. I’ve never, nor will I ever, vote for Donald Trump.  

• • •

Dave Walker is a Coeur d'Alene lifer.