A Democrat's pledge to be civil

A FB friend posted this passive aggressive comment:


My contract with my fellow Americans:

So yes, I am horribly disappointed in the outcome of this election.

I'll get over it.

And just as I'd hoped would happen in 2008 when my friends on the right were equally disappointed when Obama was elected, I will try my best to keep an open mind. After all, Obama's popularity rating is now higher than Reagan's was at the end of his term.....so there is hope.

I will continue to respect the office of President of the United States, and I will do my patriotic duty to be a member of the loyal opposition: supporting him where it serves the nation's interests, and opposing him where it also serves the nation's interests. My loyalty is to the nation and the principles it was founded on, not to party or to personalities.

Moreover, there are things I will NOT do:

- I will not question the citizenship of President Trump, and unless he gives me reason to believe otherwise, I will assume he has honorable intentions.

- I will not question his claim to be a Christian, though as a non-believer who has a passing familiarity with the teachings of Christ, I must profess that if he is a Christian, I don't understand what that means as I thought I did.

- I will not belittle or criticize his wife or family to make a political point that has nothing to do with him.

- I will not fabricate conspiracy theories about him, nor carelessly pass them along as truth

- I will not oppose his proposals on the mere basis that he proposed them. I will evaluate them on their merits as I see and understand them, not on their source.

- I may chose to call him derogatory names, but will limit that to conversations with close friends and family, and in public will address him as "Mr. Trump" or "the President", or if I'm in a bad mood, just "Trump"

- I will not criticize him for the way he stands or doesn't stand at attention, for whether he salutes or doesn't salute his Marine guard, or other silly things that have nothing to do with carrying out the duties of President of the United States.

I realize that this is a far greater courtesy than has been extended to our current president, but I believe that they are reasonable expectations of any civil person, and I may be disappointed, but I strive to remain civil.