To the Editor:

What is a role model? The Oxford Dictionary defines a role model as “a person looked to by others as an example to be imitated.” Another definition I found was “someone others look to as a good example or someone who is worthy of imitation like a beloved teacher. A role model is someone who inspires others to imitate his or her good behavior.”

I bring this question to your readers, because a Voorheesville School Board member expressed his opinions about how my next president of our United States could be elected by voters who would not condone his behavior, to be imitated by the children of our local school districts [“Right-wing social media account mocks Voorheesville School Board member’s post, creating controversy, The Altamont Enterprise, Nov. 14, 2024].

This Voorheesville School Board member has brought to the public some valid questions about President-elect Donald Trump and the parents who voted for him. This seems to be quite a quandary for parents who don’t have the comprehension skills to understand the reasonable and well-founded assertion the local school board member has made public!

Let me put it plainly for those who lack the ability to exercise critical thinking. Our new President-elect Donald Trump has been convicted of sexual assault, convicted of falsifying documents; he has been convicted of committing 34 felonies; on Dec. 18, 2019, Trump became the third United States president to be impeached.

He was charged with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. He also invited and incited a mob to go to the United States Capitol and “be there, be wild, and fight like hell.” He betrayed his oath to defend our nation by doing nothing to stop the Jan. 6, 2020 violence while he sat and watched it on TV for hours.

On Jan. 13, 2021, Trump became the only president ever to be impeached twice. This time he was charged with incitement of insurrection. It was a bipartisan vote. The majority of senators 57 out of 100 voted to convict Trump including seven Republican senators. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said, “There's no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day,” referring to the Jan. 6 insurrection.

McConnell excoriated Trump for his action on the day of the attack on the U.S. Capitol calling it a “disgraceful dereliction of duty.” House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said, “Trump bears responsibility for the capitol riot.”

President Trump believes if you lose an election someone must have cheated but if you win, nothing was wrong. President Trump believes if you’re indicted and have to appear in a court of law, it's a witch hunt, when really, a grand jury has reviewed evidence against you and formally accused you of a serious crime and charged you.

The Washington Post fact checker team claims President Trump told/made false or misleading claims a total of 30,573 times over his four years in office. The shameful, immoral, and unethical behavior of my president is resounding, and we haven't even scratched the surface of his despicable, disgraceful, contemptible behavior that is repeated and recorded by video and audio over and over again. 

How about the video where Trump described his attempt to seduce a married woman and indicated he might start kissing a woman that he was about to meet. He went on to say “I don't even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything ... Grab ‘em by the pussy. You can do anything." He has been accused of sexual assault by many women and after that kind of admission why would you doubt them? 

So the next thing to ask is whether President-elect Donald Trump is a good role model for our local children. 

For instance, the children who attend Voorheesville, Guilderland, and Berne-Knox-Westerlo schools, etc?

My judgement, and clearly I am making an informed judgement, President-elect Trump is a horrendous role model for the children of our communities! And by the way, a shout-out to our Voorheesville School Board member; taking a public position on this is not political.

It has nothing to do with Republican or Democratic policy. It has to do solely with the character of a man who was just elected to be the leader of the most powerful nation on Earth, and whether he is the kind of a person or man we approve of as a role model for our children to emulate.

If anyone voted for him and has children you obviously are a person having double standards! If you voted for Trump you are a person who condones a lack of established etiquette amongst the leaders of the U.S.A.

School administrators and teachers as well as school boards and parents, teach your children well! Don't agree that the president-elect is a man whose character is flawed but rally around him because of his policies!

There were many viable Republican candidates of acceptable character with no baggage that could have also been nominated and elected. All of you do a disservice to our country by not calling to task the character of our people, especially our leaders when you do not speak up and join the rallying cry for honorable behavior!

In order for America to be great, we must be willing to seek the truth in unity and teach it to our nation’s children. Remember 2+2 = 4, not 5. We all believe that is a fact. Let’s unite in truth and facts!

Timothy J. Albright

Meadowdale