The ignorance of the current U.S. President and his administration

Since November 9, 2016, I have refrained from writing a blog post specifically  about the then President-elect and/or his choices for Cabinet posts.  After the inauguration and Senate confirmations, I still refrained from writing any blog posts.  Rather, I expressed my opinions and concerns by sharing various posts on Facebook and retweeting various Tweets.  But what happened yesterday with White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has moved me to now write this blog post.

I had debated what to title this post.  I was certain I wanted to use ignorance of the U.S. President and his administration.  The question was whether to use a word  before the word ignorance and if so, what word?  I had thought of careless or willful or reckless or even thoughtless or perhaps some combination of those words.  But decided instead to use those words within the post rather than in the title since all are appropriate for the different situations.  There are more examples than the ones I have chosen, but I believe these examples certainly illustrate my points.

Let us begin with Secretary of Education Betty DeVos.  She praised the historically African American Colleges and Universities for being good examples of  having choices about what school to attend.  That statement and sentiment clearly demonstrated ignorance as to why those colleges and universities were founded.  Her ignorance was thoughtless, careless and willful.  She needed only do some research to discover that those colleges and universities were founded precisely because African Americans had NO choices.  They were not allowed in colleges and universities due to legal segregation.

Betty DeVos was harshly criticized for her words and deservedly so.  She clearly knew little about the colleges and universities she chose as examples of why allowing tax dollars to fund private schools via a voucher system would be good for students and the country.  What makes her words reckless are that so many of the current President's supporters believe what she said.

The President displayed his own ignorance of history when he tweeted about Frederick Douglass in such a manner as to imply that he thought Mr, Douglass was still alive.  His words were thoughtless, careless and willfully ignorant.  Some research would have enlightened the President about Mr. Douglass, his life and contributions and the date of his death, February 20, 1895, 122 years ago.  His words were reckless because, of course, his supporters believe every word he says.

The President again tweeted words that displayed his thoughtless, careless and willful ignorance when he questioned who knew that President Abraham Lincoln was a Republican.  That President Lincoln was a Republican is not something that should come as a surprise to anyone who has had any basic American History classes.  Perhaps what might be lesser know is that he was the FIRST  Republican President.  Maybe the current President was surprised to learn that President Lincoln was a Republican because the present day Republican Party principals and policies have so little in common with President Lincoln's Republican Party principles and policies.

The words from the current President and current Secretary of Education pale in comparison and seem trivial after Press Secretary Sean Spicer's comments Tuesday April 11, 2017, about Adolph Hitler, the use of chemicals and the Holocaust.  Thoughtless, careless, reckless, willfully ignorant words spewed from Mr. Spicer's mouth like lava from an erupting volcano.  To suggest that Hitler did not use chemicals, to refer to the death chambers as "Holocaust Centers", to then  say that Hitler did not use chemicals "on his own people".  There are no words, although many on Twitter and Facebook have tried to find ways to express their collective shock at such appalling ignorance.

There have been numerous calls​ for Mr. Spicer to be fired.  He has said he "let the President down."  No, Mr. Spicer did not merely "let the President down", he let the United States down and even worse, he desecrated the memory of those killed in the Holocaust as well those who survived and those who lost members of their families.  There is no turning back from that.  There are not words, regardless of how heartfelt and sincere that will undo that damage.  All of which could have been avoided with just some research and careful, thoughtful, willful consideration of what words to say.

That was not the only ignorant utterance from a member of the current President's administration on that day.  The Secretary of State questioned why the American taxpayers should care about the Ukraine.  Stunning words from the Secretary of State.  Thoughtless, careless and willfully ignorant words from the person who represents the United States on the world stage.  Why should American taxpayers care?  That question actually crossed Secretary Tillerson's mind.  That was a question he believed he needed to ask out loud where others could hear him.  Why should American taxpayers care?  Because the people in the Ukraine deserve the right to choose their form of government and not be invaded, that's why!  Because when the rights of any are threatened, the rights of all are threatened, that why!