Pope Donald?

No one who regularly reads these Musings, or any other resources on our website, is going to be surprised to hear that I am not of the Catholic faith. What readers may not know is that I grew up a block away from a convent, a Catholic elementary school, and a Catholic girls’ high school; as far as I know, not a Protestant was to be found. One of my best friends attended church weekly and graduated from these schools. Her mom often invited some of the nuns over for coffee. Half my block was Jewish, and half was Catholic. It was a wonderful neighborhood in which to grow up, as I wrote about here.

All this is to say that while I have little theological familiarity with Catholicism, I have a great deal of cultural acquaintance. For this reason, I was brought up short by President Trump’s representation on his Truth Social account of himself decked out as the Pope. Rather than chuckling, I winced. While I suspect that the veneration felt for the Pope has lessened for many Catholics since I was a little girl, I thought it was insensitive and inappropriate.

Going back a few years, I remember appreciating and being grateful for Rush Limbaugh even as his antics sometimes made me uncomfortable. I largely credit him with changing the American political landscape by presenting an intelligent and cogent argument for conservatism that was accessible to those who never would have opened a copy of National Review. Yet, I did not find his phrase ‘femiNazis’ amusing and I cringed when he made fun of Chelsea Clinton when she was still a child. Did his irreverence help increase his audience? I sadly conclude that it did. Nonetheless, it diminished him and those—like me—who followed him. Such is life.

Donald Trump is a worthy successor to Rush. I am immensely grateful for his dogged persistence, his slaying of third rails, and his granting an opportunity for America to reclaim her greatness. Once again, I am faced with recoiling from some of his buffoonery while acknowledging that it goes hand-in-hand with his success.

There is a concept in ancient Jewish wisdom that a generation gets the leaders it deserves. We are not going to find George Washington or King David at our helm today. The future may be even bleaker as social media encourages many to bring their worst selves to the forefront.

I am still a committed supporter of the president. All I have to do is picture the alternative. Yet, just as I objected in 1987 to the vulgar, pretentious artwork of Andres Serrano that featured a crucifix immersed in urine, I am not comfortable with staying silent at what I consider to be an unbecoming insult from my side of the aisle.

P.S. If you or anyone you know would benefit from an open conversation about homeschooling – Should we? Could we do it better? If my kids are in school, can I sort of homeschool? – check out our daughter Rebecca Masinter’s upcoming free Virtual Event and share the link.

P.P.S. You keep sending friends and relatives to my Substack! Thank you.

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