Donald Trump and American Values

Many say that Donald Trump's proposals regarding Muslims go against American Values. But, what exactly are American values? In 2012 The Pew Research Center attempted to find out. They did a survey of Americans to try to discover which values Americans held dear to their hearts. What they found should not surprise anyone who's been paying attention to the political landscape recently.

From their introduction to the survey, "The 2012 Pew Research Center Values Survey finds that Americans’ values and basic beliefs are more polarized along partisan lines than at any point in the past 25 years. Party has now become the single largest fissure in American society, with the values gap between Republicans and Democrats greater than gender, age, race or class divides."  http://www.people-press.org/values-questions/

If you were asked today to list what you believe are core American values, do you think your list would be the same as your best friend, your partner, your parents, your neighbor, your representatives in Congress, or your President? What values do you think Donald Trump violates by his various pronouncements regarding "others"? His followers seem to hold those same values. They say he represents their views just fine!

Remember the ideals, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? How about fairness, honesty, equality, individualism, respect, responsibility, trustworthiness? Are those values that we can support and desire for ourselves and others? Let's not forget Democracy. 

If you consider the Pew Study, you will realize that Democrats and Republicans have different values. There really is no one set of values that everyone agrees represents all Americans. Each party has a platform that you can read where they set forth objectives that reflect the values dear to each party.

Here is the GOP platform:  https://www.gop.com/platform/  

And here is the Democratic platform:  https://www.democrats.org/party-platform

Then, read how Donald Trump is trumping the values that both parties hold dear:  http://www.districtchronicles.com/news/view.php/1015273/Trumping-American-values-fairness

I think it is time for everyone to speak out about Donald Trump. If he represents your values. then say so, loud and clear for all to hear. And vice versa, if he violates your values, then say so loud and clear for all to hear. There is no middle ground.