Today I have a new segment “A-Train Asks” where I am going to pose three questions to the reader. I’d like you to consider and answer each in your own mind. I’ll be giving my answers as well. Before I jump right into the questions, a quick anecdote about from where my questions stem.

I was in a fraternity in at the University of Missouri. See A-Train Sports Origin Story for more about that. Fraternity life was a bit of a mixed bag but one thing that has stayed with me from my fraternity days was The True Gentleman. It was the creed adopted by SAE and during my pledgeship, it was memorized and delivered word for word every night before we were allowed to go to bed. Why am I talking about this? For one I’ve wanted to write about the True Gentleman for a while. Second, I just felt that on a day when women (and men) are out marching in large part because of the man in the Whitehouse, that the time was right.

I have stayed off politics on this blog to the best of my ability. This is not meant to be a political statement, rather it’s my way to get people thinking about what kind of person should be running this or any country.

The Three Questions:

What does it mean to be a Gentleman?

Should the President be a Gentleman?

Is our current President a Gentleman?

Before I get to the first question I want to say that in 2018 this applies equally to women and when you read “Gentleman” think “Gentleman/Gentlewoman” or “Gentleperson” A woman can be President too guys, SHEESH!

What does it mean to be a Gentleman?

In 1899 the Baltimore Sun held a writing competition for who could give the best definition of a True Gentleman. A piece by John Walter Wayland, a young man not yet 30, would be declared the winner. I think you would be hard-pressed to find a better definition of a True Gentleman.

 

 

As you consider your own definition of a true gentleman, consider John Walter Wayland’s, I bet there is some overlap between the two. If not then I am in trouble and maybe you should go back to infowars.com or wherever you came from.

Should the President be a Gentleman?

If you ask “Should the President be a Gentleman” then what you are really asking is “Should the President embody the values of the True Gentleman”

Should the President have an acute sense of propriety?

Having an acute sense of what is proper and what is not is probably pretty important when dealing with a large and diverse nation.

Should the President have self-control no matter the emergency?

Jesus Christ Yes! Resounding Yes! FDR once told a frightened nation that “The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” This is the kind of self-control needed in the White House.

Should the President make the poor conscious of their poverty, Etcetera?

I don’t think the President is supposed to make the citizens that need his help the most feel like shit. Is that part of the job description?

Should the President be humble if forced by the situation to humble others?

Yes, humility will save American lives when the military has to “humble someone” and when you need humble a political opponent humility leaves open a door to negotiate.

Should the President flatter wealth?

No, that’s not his job nor should it be in his nature.

Should the President cringe before power?

Fuck No.

Should the President boast of his possessions?

Doesn’t seem very “Presidential”

Should the President boast of his achievements?

I will allow some, you do need to get elected. Once President though, his achievements should be framed as “our achievements” He didn’t do anything by himself.

Should the President be frank in speech and manner, speaking with sincerity and sympathy?

Obvious yes.

Should the President’s deed follow his word?

Obvious yes.

Should the President think of the rights and feeling of others rather than his own?

This is pretty much his job.

Should the President appear well in any company? 

You deal with Rich, Poor, Asians, Africans, Europeans, South Americans, Old, Young, Wounded, Democrat, Republican, Socialist, Dictator….you deal with a variety of people probably good to look at ease no matter who you are around.

Should honor be sacred and virtue safe with the President?

Let’s see the highest award we have is called the “Medal of Honor” yes honor should be sacred. The same goes for a woman’s honor. Do I need to say that virtue should be safe? You’re the President for Christ’s sake, but yes for the record.

I think the answer to “Should the President be a Gentleman?” is a resounding yes.

Now to the fun part, the third question…

Is our current President (Donald Trump) a Gentleman? 

This is a tough question.

Does Donald Trump have an acute sense of propriety?

Well, just how acute is your sense of propriety if you’re calling out “Shithole” countries, behind closed doors or not. Every other president in my lifetime was able to avoid doing this. Grade F.

Does Donald Trump have self-control equal to all emergencies?

When Donald Trump gets even a little upset he loses it and goes on Twitter rants. NY Times keeps a nice little list of all his twitter beefs. These are not even emergencies, a real emergency will hopefully not rear it’s ugly head because twitter can’t solve actual problems. Grade F

The next two I’m going to present as one because they go hand in hand.

Does Trump make the poor conscious of their poverty, the obscure of their obscurity etcetera…is he himself humbled when necessity compels him to humble another?

This is a great tweet because he resource-shames North Korea (making the poor man conscious of his poverty) He feels compelled by necessity to humble N. Korea as any president might, but he does it in the least humble way possible…Grade F

skipping ahead to a later question because it’s relevant here and I want to tie it in

Does Trump speak with frankness but always with sincerity and sympathy? LOL

These are great tweets, because Kim Jong-un is an unstable piece of shit. They are not, however, the remarks a President should be making on twitter. They do nothing to help the situation with them and only serve to bolster Trump’s ego and fire up his fans. This is not a guy who can forgo what he thinks is a witty remark even if the health of the nation is at stake. This is just one remark. Go back through his tweets you will find that he may speak frankly but rarely is it with any sympathy or sincerity.

Does Trump flatter wealth? Does Trump boast of his possession and achievements?

I think one could argue that this is all that he does. He loves to flatter wealth nobody’s more than his own. Does he boast of his possessions or achievements? His entire campaign was built on boasting. The list of example I can give of Trump boasts borders on infinite. If you hate yourself enough read one of his books it’s boasting in novel form. Final Grade F

Does Trump Cringe before Power?

This one is debatable. I’m not sure Trump Cringes before much. Maybe when he has to pay taxes, but even then he just becomes president and “reforms” taxes. Americans often cringe when he speaks, but I digress. Does he cringe before power? You could sway me in both directions. I can’t give him an F. He’s getting a Final Grade B.

Does Trump’s deed follow his word?

Well, he certainly is deporting people as fast as he possibly can. But seriously the answer is no.

 

Grade F.

Wrapping it up because I think the answer is becoming clear…

Does Trump put the rights and feeling of others ahead of before his own? Does he appear well in any company? Is he a man with whom honor is sacred and virtue safe?

He makes sure the wealthy and elite are taken care of first, he is constantly making a faux pas when dealing with both domestic and foreign leaders. He didn’t give a shit about Puerto Rico and as for Virtue…

 

Triple F.

Yikes, Trump does not live up to J.W. Wayland’s definition of a True Gentleman. Not. Even. Close. I barely had to dig for examples of what a shitheel this guy can be.

The True Gentleman is something to strive for, it’s damn near impossible to achieve at all times, it’s not human nature to be a true gentleman, it is a discipline. I’m not saying that I am a True Gentleman, but I am not the POTUS. America deserves a True Gentleman at the helm or one who at least strives in that direction. -A-Train Out.