Dear Donald Trump

Dear President Trump,


As a 47-year-old, twice-divorced, African-American father of three children, I feel compelled to write you. In full disclosure, I must tell you that I didn't vote for you nor did I want to vote for Clinton. While I accept the fact you won the election, I feel the need to make you aware of my expectations for "the most powerful man in the free world." Before I do this, please allow me the opportunity to explain my feelings about the election.

When the primaries started, I knew there would be a boatload of candidates. What I didn't expect was for you to throw your hat into the ring. I honestly thought it was fluke and wouldn't last long. The shocking part about your campaign was the bravado and gamesmanship you displayed. I thought the personal insults were akin to how Muhammad Ali used to talk about his opponents prior to a boxing match. I felt it was childish and so un-presidential. In my mind, I thought, "No one is going to buy into this crap!" I expected you to start losing primaries and drop out of the race. As we all know, that didn't happen. In fact, the opposite occurred and you started picking up steam.

I am a language arts teacher so I thought it would be a great idea to watch all of the presidential debates with my classes and discuss what we learned from each of them. As an educator, I was very disappointed in the way you conducted yourself in most of the debates. You avoided providing any details of your platform. For instance, all you would say about building the wall is that Mexico was gonna pay for it. You resorted to personal attacks of anyone who opposed you. When your answers were reviewed after the debates, you lied more than you told the truth. I felt like I was watching a used car salesman working the deal. Please don't get it twisted...the students noticed too.

The most disappointing part of your campaign was the continuous deluge of scandals that kept being reported. The bankruptcies, the affairs, the racial and sexually offensive comments were too much to take. Unfortunately, enough people hated Clinton and the establishment that they were willing to accept less than the best there was to offer. You were successful in selling the American people the used car. My question is, "When will the engine blow on it?" 

Without a doubt, the most disappointing aspect of your campaign was the audiotape of your conversation with Billy Bush from Entertainment Tonight. I found your defense of what you said about women to be weak and insincere. How am I supposed to teach my young male students about respect of the opposite sex when the President of the United States cannot do it? It would be one thing if you had been a young man when you made those comments, but you weren't. It was indefensible and should have disqualified you as a candidate. Sadly, I feel like the election was a sad indictment on what we expect from ourselves as well as our children.

Having said all of this, I conclude by saying that I need you to dig deep and understand the world is watching. The doubt, anger and frustration towards your presidency has been caused by your actions thus far. If you want ALL of the American people to take you seriously, we need to see a Donald Trump who doesn't shoot first and ask questions later. I would ask you to spend less time on Twitter and more time reflecting on the job at hand. A good leader needs to have thick skin because no decision you make will draw 100% approval. The one thing I've admired about President Obama is his ability to let criticism roll off of his back. I need you to put some sincere effort in winning over people of color. Your words will fall on deaf ears after some of the things you've already said. The photo opportunities with African-American athletes and entertainers seem fake and less than sincere. Stop insulting everyone who disagrees with you and start reaching out in a sincere effort to learn why they disagree with you.

I wish you the best of luck in your presidency. If you fail, we all fail. Be a bridge between the sides and not a divide.

Sincerely,
George T. Thompson