Editorials

Not So Funny

There has rarely been more of a hostile environment between the mainstream press, the popular culture, and the White House. President Donald J. Trump, because he is the President, and because of his positions, his policies, and his persona, is constantly mocked.

This is to be expected, to some degree, since every president from George Washington to Donald Trump, sometimes deservedly and sometimes undeservedly, has been lampooned.

However, for the most part, presidential families have been off-limits for parody. The First Lady and the First Family, for the most part, have been left alone when it comes to comedy.

Stephen Colbert, a practicing Roman Catholic, has had a parody of the First Lady, Melania Trump, played by actress Laura Benanti on his nightly program, The Late Show. The skit suggests that Mrs. Trump is a prisoner of the White House and is very unhappy in her role as First Lady and as a wife.

Colbert is a clever man who is normally a Catholic gentleman. But when it comes to the president, Colbert is like a bull seeing the red flag waved in front of him. Perhaps he and his writers should stop and rethink some of their so-called humor – at least they might choose to leave the First Lady, for the sake of civility, alone. It is not the Christian thing to do. Families of the nation’s presidents should be off limits.

Matthew 7:12 reminds us to do unto others as you would have them do to you. Perhaps we could all learn a little civility from this Gospel verse.