Name: The moral indecency of Donald Trump: For those who care about right and wrong, Trump should be disqualified for the presidency
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The moral indecency of Donald Trump: For those who care about right and wrong, Trump should be disqualified for the presidency

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AdvertisementBy NEW YORK DAILY NEWSOct 03, 2016 at 2:09 pm"The Clintons are the sordid past. We will be the very bright and clean future."So said Donald Trump at a rally in New Hampshire last week. Trump often tries to draw moral distinctions between himself and Hillary Clinton, referring to her as "crooked Hillary." While it is true that Hillary is far from perfect, as we all are, it is abundantly clear that the morally indecent person in this race is Donald Trump.AdvertisementFor over 2,000 years, philosophers and religious thinkers have argued that respect for other persons is a fundamental requirement for being a morally decent person. We should respect the value of other human beings, not only in how we act towards them, but also in how we talk to and about them.AdvertisementTrump's actions and attitudes, past and present, reveal a lack of basic respect for other people.Many of the examples are well known. His criticism of John McCain for being captured in Vietnam; his assumption that, while most are rapists and otherwise terrible people some of the Mexican people who come to the United States are good people; his crass and cruel mocking of a disabled reporter; his verbal abuse of the family of a heroic soldier who died for our nation, and his claim that in order to defeat terrorists it is necessary to kill their families — all reveal a lack of basic respect for others.It's also clear that Trump habitually lies. Serial dishonesty also displays a lack of respect.Consider the examples that have surfaced in just the past week. Trump's treatment of former Miss Universe Alicia Machado shows a lack of respect for her, for women, and for all people of Latin heritage. Trump referred to her as "an eating machine," and, according to Machado, as "Miss Piggy" and "Miss Housekeeping." After this came to light in the first presidential debate, Trump was tweeting at 3:20 a.m. that Machado is "disgusting," the latter being one of his favorite insults.WeekdaysCatch up on the day’s top five stories every weekday afternoon. &gt; Trump then instructed people to watch a "sex tape" he claims Machado appeared in, though this seems to be an exaggeration or fabrication. In the midst of all of this, it has come to light that Trump himself appeared in a softcore Playboy video back in 2000. Given that many who work in the pornography industry are physically and verbally abused and often turn to drugs as a way to cope with their pain, Trump's involvement on screen reveals a lack of respect for their basic dignity as human beings.There is more. Investigations by USA Today and The Wall Street Journal found that Trump has displayed a pattern of either underpaying or refusing to pay contractors, painters, carpenters and others. In reply, Trump claims he only does this when the work is unsatisfactory or incomplete. Yet he has been cited over 20 times since 2005 for violations of the Fair Standards Labor Act. Specifically, his companies failed to pay overtime or minimum wage to their workers. This is exploiting others for one's own profit, and is another way in which Trump fails to demonstrate the most basic respect for other human beings.Contrary to Trump's claims, "It's called business" does not justify hoping that the housing market collapses so that he can swoop in and make a profit off of the suffering of people who lost their homes. "That makes me smart" does not justify paying zero federal income tax while the poor and middle class pay at least their fair share.Trump seems to be the center of his own universe, and the impact of his actions on others either does not register, or he does not care. Either way, this also reveals a lack of any respect for others.AdvertisementThe decisions made in the Oval Office have a moral dimension. They can significantly impact the lives of people, including those who Trump finds to be disgusting.The President doesn't need to be a moral saint. But surely he or she must be at least a morally decent individual. Trump fails this test. Because of this, he is not qualified to be President of the United States of America.Austin is a professor of philosophy at Eastern Kentucky University and co-editor of of "Being Good: Christian Virtues for Everyday Life." Advertisement

AdvertisementBy NEW YORK DAILY NEWSOct 03, 2016 at 2:09 pm"The Clintons are the sordid past. We will be the very bright and clean future."So said Donald Trump at a rally in New Hampshire last week. Trump often tries to draw moral distinctions between himself and Hillary Clinton, referring to her as "crooked Hillary." While it is true that Hillary is far from perfect, as we all are, it is abundantly clear that the morally indecent person in this race is Donald Trump.AdvertisementFor over 2,000 years, philosophers and religious thinkers have argued that respect for other persons is a...

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Michael Austin

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The moral indecency of Donald Trump: For those who care about right and wrong, Trump should be disqualified for the presidency

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