If Donald Trump were a student at my sons’ elementary school he’d have been suspended long ago for tantrums, bad sportsmanship, use of foul language, name-calling, bullying, and last but not least “alleged” sexual harassment and sexual abuse of multitudes of women including the alleged rape of a 13-year-old.

If he were my kid I’d have sent him to therapy in order to treat his narcissism, his difficulty acknowledging the truth, his bullying, trolling, lack of impulse control, name calling and inciting others to violence. I’d suspect a possible case of megalomania, borderline personality disorder, and/or potential substance abuse. I mean, if he had nothing to hide, why wouldn’t he reveal his medical records?

Why have nearly half of our citizens tolerated in Trump the kind of atrocities that no mother, no father, and no school principal would tolerate in our own children? How can I explain to my sons that our highest leader is a man who demeans, mocks, bullies and promotes violence? Are these the “family values” that we want our sons and daughters to aspire to? Are these the family values that Republicans hail? Or is this simply the cloak removed to reveal racism, bigotry, misogyny disguised under a pretty label?

As an overgrown boy who has offended and demeaned every minority group out there, and entire populations (Mexicans, and other Latino groups he cannot differentiate from Mexicans, Muslims, African-Americans, women, the disabled, war heroes, Gold Star families, and the Pope) he has trodden upon the ideals that are inscribed in our constitution and in our hearts as school children: truth, equality, liberty, justice, freedom. 

If Trump were my kid I would ground him, take away his phone privileges, his twitter account, make him take a time-out, a cold shower, or engage in some restorative-justice, the kind that our schools have embraced in order to teach children how to make a proper apology and amends, after we harm someone.

If he argued with and insulted me (which naturally he would) I’d tell him that his Neanderthalian impulses had been instilled in him by our reality-TV culture (and probably) his own father who liked to use the N– word, not to mention our old-school-white-boy-backroom racist forefathers who trampled upon the Native Americans, and became slaveowners—those ugly overlooked historical facts that we don’t learn in our school books.

I’d have Trump re-learn those old-fashioned conservative values that real patriots value: the kinds of morals that our haloed institutions have etched into their walls: integrity, respect, tolerance—the kind of high-minded values instilled in us as children through the words of such greats such as Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, John F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Trump is a product of the dumbing down of our nation—a nation which has come to value TV over books, and reality-TV stars famous for idiotic accomplishments like leaping over mud pits, insulting the most contestants, or eating cockroaches, rather than honoring those who work hard, those immigrants who risk life and limb to  pick grapes and clean toilets for less than minimum wage. We’ve come to promote fame and fortune over hardwork, kindness and generosity.  How and when did we lose our moral compass?

Perhaps it makes us feel better to see someone else get downtrodden. It makes us (within the confines of our own homes) feel safer and better about our own lives—as in: Wow! My life is pretty great compared to that “loser”. But let’s face it. Reality shows are nothing but verbal gladiator games; they appeal to the lowest and most base of our instincts. This is what Trump represents, America’s shadow side. Our most primal  impulses unleashed. He’s the Ugly American. He’s your drunk uncle embarassing you at the family holiday party. He’s Archie Bunker on steroids.

What is Trump’s greatest accomplishment? He’s famous for building gaudy buildings with his name on them and for judging others, ie. name-calling (as he did in his reality TV show: The Apprentice). Bravo America. You’ve gone from a classy Barack Obama bridge-builder to a class-less Trump wall builder.

Can you imagine saying to your grandchildren: “Let’s skip the mythic story about Lincoln’s famed honesty, that day he supposedly walked 6 miles to return 3 pennies! Instead, let me tell you the story about President Trump who bragged about sexually abusing women, Ha! Ha! He didn’t pay taxes for years despite claiming to be a billionaire! He cheated poor people out of their college tuition! He refused to pay his workers! He smashed historic art-deco statues! He polluted the drinking water of a 92-year-old-Irish woman with his  golf course construction so that this woman of Aberdeen, Ireland, had to cart her own drinking water from a stream, in a wheelbarrow—for four years!

Yes darlings, cheat the poor, stomp upon those who are different from you in their skin color, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or country of origin– make enemies wherever you go! Brag, cheat and steal! That’s what America is all about!

What will you tell your children about the lessons that Trump’s election imparts?

Excerpt from blog first published @Truthdig.com