To the editor:
My daughter-in-law called me to say that she had recorded Michelle Obama’s speech of July 25 for my 6-year old grandson to listen to. On hearing that, I realized at once that there is no utterance by Mr. Trump that any child or grandchild should hear. The vulgarity of his language, the cruelty of his content, the inflammatory fear-mongering, the provocative bursts of bigotry, the shameless ignorance of the world, and the general denigration of our country are completely inappropriate for children, and hardly beneficial for grownups.
Anyone who has a child knows that children pay attention and get caught up in the excitement of presidential contests. What is a child to make of the atmosphere and tone Mr. Trump fosters of the country in which they live? His potential influence on children matters, for they are seeking to know, as children always do, what is right and good, what they should believe and believe in, for political contests invariably provide a stage for moral questions. The attitudes children grow up with have everything to do with the ways in which they will regard and shape our country.
It is undeniable that one of the strengths of the recent Democratic convention in Philadelphia is its emphasis on care and respect for children and on the importance of giving children a healthy view of and respect for their country.
Heidi Dawidoff
Francestown